Christmas may be a distant memory but in Odd Down the celebrations are still going strong as final preparations take place for ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’.
St Philip & St James’ Church Drama Group has taken a break from pantomime to put on a musical version of the popular book by CS Lewis, which opens tomorrow, Wednesday, 22nd January.
The story is set during the Second World War when four evacuees find themselves at a big house in the country. The drama unfolds as they discover a wonderful world inside a wardrobe.
There are goodies – the magnificent Lion, Aslan, the wise Professor and the delightful Mr and Mrs Beaver. There are baddies – the evil Queen of Narnia (aka the Witch), and her henchmen Maugrim the wolf and Grumpskin the dwarf. And then there are those in between – a certain Faun called Tumnus who seems friendly but then… Well, we don’t want to give the plot away.
The director Claire Morrish, has always loved the story and welcomed the opportunity to bring it to Odd Down.
She said: “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ was a childhood favourite, a fantastical tale of adventure. As an adult, I have discovered the power of its themes of temptation, sacrifice and forgiveness. I have longed for our Drama Group to put it on for a few years now.
“Not only that, it is set in snow, which is perfect timing for our January show”. No doubt we should all prefer that the only snow around next week is the pretend stuff!
“The tale is set to music and is told by a talented cast of all ages with the help of a host of scene changes. The stage crew is certainly working overtime this year. It all makes for a magical afternoon or evening out that will enchant the whole family.
“Not only that, money raised during the performances will go to two very good causes. St Philip and St James’ Church Drama Group always donates the first night proceeds to charity and this year we are supporting a church in South Africa. St Philip’s has been linked with a township in Cape Town for 21 years now and the money will help further their work to break down boundaries, in the spirit of Nelson Mandela who died last year.
“We have also been moved to help children in war-torn countries. Producer Tim Conroy, who also plays Tumnus, says the idea came from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”.
“In the story, the children were all evacuees, sent to the safety of the countryside during the Blitz. We have decided to help some of the many young people across the world still affected by warfare, whether refugees or orphans.”
All donations made during the performances will go to Christian Aid’s Syria Crisis appeal. You may also be interested to know that the Wardrobe has its own Twitter account. You can follow its – tongue in cheek – observations on @lionswardrobe.
Tickets – £7 for adults and £4.50 concessions from St Philip & St James’ Church Office, open weekdays 9 am – 5 pm tel: 01225 835228.
Dates: 7.30 pm Wednesday 22nd – Saturday 25th January. Matinee, Saturday 25th Jan 2.30 pm (the Thursday performance has a special offer of £1 off every ticket).
Venue: St Philip & St James’ Church, Frome Road, Odd Down, Bath BA2 2QF.
