Bristol Hippodrome Theatre Review: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Summary
Rating: ★★★★
Running Dates: Tuesday 16th September - Saturday 20th September 2025
Where to see it: Bristol Hippodrome
Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes approx. (incl. interval)
Keywords: Childhood Classic, War, Magical
Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
Review
Based on the CS Lewis classic childhood story of many - the basic plot is this: 4 children that have been relocated to the country due to the war come across a wardrobe that transports them to the magical snowy world of narnia - adventure, peril and creatures comes next.
This story has such depth and scope it was hard to imagine how a theatre production could pull off such a wide ranging tale - but boy it does deliver. With the use of stage trickery, fantastic lighting enrapturing that moody dreary before and bright after - it really is something to watch. However, I did feel at points that it may have missed some of the magic of the original - something that perhaps can’t quite be captured on stage for me personally.
Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
The use of music was particularly stunning. The choice of the first song - Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ was particularly prevalent as the immediate connotation of wartime was present - and the use of the wall of voices from the cast and echo effects matched with the choreography was a fantastic opener to set the scene.
Moreover, the scene changes were unique and really sleek - without giving anything away - when they transition from Narnia back to present day and vice versa. Although, for the first narnia visit I wasn’t completely blown away by the change on stage. I was hoping for more of a ‘wow’ moment at this point - akin to when Charlie sees the chocolate factory for the first time - but that was a tiny bit lacking for me.
All the cast were absolutely excellent - but a special nod to the ensemble - I absolutely adore seeing characters (especially when they are dressed as a squirrel!) playing instruments on stage, and the exceptional choreography throughout.
Ultimately, this production is definitely worth a watch - that nostalgia is strong and the cast really encapsulates the moral undertones of the story with such power. The lighting, visuals and the power of song really shine. It was just missing a little something for me.
Photo by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg
See If: You love the original book series and the 2005 film. This adds a folk twist and great music.
Stand Out Moment: The Snow witch’ Frozen moment (you will see what I mean!)
Last Impressions: A childhood classic brought to life with the power of song, lighting and fantastic stage trickery.
You can find last minute tickets for the show on the ATG Website
Written by Steph Clarke
We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.