Review | The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe | The Lowry | 04 December 2025

With pantomimes and festive crowd-pleasers filling theatres across the country, The Lowry has once again provided the perfect alternative. After last year’s Come From Away set an impressively high bar, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has arrived at The Lowry, marking the 75th anniversary of C. S. Lewis’s beloved novel.

Evacuated from London during World War II, the Pevensie children find themselves in Scotland with nothing to do. All that changes when they find a wardrobe that transports them to Narnia, a land trapped in an eternal winter by the White Witch. With the guidance of animal friends they meet along the way, they attempt to bring an end to the evil witch’s reign.

All too often family shows more heavily target the children in the audience, with parents quietly tolerating. Under Michael Fentiman’s direction, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe strikes that rare balance as a show that will enchant the entire family. The piece never talks down to its audience, whilst exuding quality in every way imaginable.

There is a muted, almost dusty colour palette in Tom Paris’s set and costume design. It feels moody and almost cinematic, with a quality not often seen in this type of show but just works. Rather than relying on realism, it leaves space for the puppetry and imagination to steal the show, without tainting audiences’ preconceived ideas of what the world would look like more specifically.

Casting young adult performers as the Pevensie children is a choice that could easily feel jarring but in fact worked perfectly. Having them slightly older helped add a quality and nuance to their performances that only comes with age. Their dynamic as siblings, from their bickering to bonding, feels relatable and helps make a fantasy-based story feel human and real.

The real star of the show is Aslan, brought to life by incredible puppetry from Toby Olí and Max Humphries. His majestic arrival on stage is one of those moments in theatre which is impossible to forget. The puppet moves like a wise old soul, strong and purposeful. Rather than going for a more realistic design, Aslan has a more stylised interpretation with earthy brown tones and gold detail, which works so much better for the stage.

Magic isn’t just found in the performances or puppetry; wonderful on-stage magic is a big part of this production. Whilst nothing is done for the sake of it or for wow factor alone, it elevates the show to the next level whilst always having purpose. As performers quite literally appear and disappear in front of your eyes, you never really question how things are done, with the show bringing you into its world and making you truly believe in magic.

Stuffed with heart and humour that other adaptations could only dream of, this is the perfect family show this Christmas. Being unapologetically theatrical, it serves as the most incredible introduction to theatre for younger audiences.

The The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe plays at The Lowry until Sunday 11 January 2026.

Click here for booking details

Note: My ticket was gifted in exchange for a review. This review is based on my honest opinion alone and is without influence.