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The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – A Rushed Arrival into Narnia
A family friendly classic with moments of magic and mild misgivings
🎭 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
The Lowry, Salford 4th January 2026
A trip to the theatre is usually something I look forward to: the anticipation, the build-up, the chance to slow down and sink into a live performance. This one, however, started in a bit of a sprint.
🚗 Parking: A Minor Battle Before Narnia
If you’re heading to The Lowry, do yourself a favour and arrive early. Parking is, frankly, a bit of a ballache, especially when it’s shared with the shopping centre. Cars circling, tempers rising, time ticking.
There is a saving grace: the YourParkingSpace app, which you can download in advance to speed things up. Useful, but not foolproof.
Despite best efforts, I finally parked up with three minutes to go before curtain up. Naturally, that meant an announcement over the tannoy informing us the show was about to start. No drink. No toilet trip. Straight in 🤦♂️
📖 Into the Wardrobe (Almost Blind)
Believe it or not, I didn’t really know the story. I’m aware of its place in popular culture, of course, but I’d never actually sat through The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in any form.
That said, I always enjoy theatre. There’s something about the medium itself: the immediacy of it, the staging, the way sets transform in front of you, the knowledge that what you’re watching only exists in that moment. Even before the story fully grabbed me, I was appreciating the craft.
🎨 Staging, Atmosphere & Audience
Visually, the production does a lot right. The staging is imaginative, fluid, and clearly designed to keep things moving at a pace that works for a younger audience. There’s a sense of scale and spectacle that suits a fantasy world, without feeling overblown.
The audience was very family heavy, with lots of kids in attendance. That’s to be expected with a production like this, but I did find myself wondering whether all of the content felt entirely age appropriate. Maybe that’s just me, but there were moments where the tone felt darker or more intense than I anticipated given the crowd.
Still, the children around me were clearly engaged (no tears), and there’s something nice about seeing a new generation experience live theatre for the first time.
🎭 Final Thoughts
Despite the chaotic start and a few reservations, this was another enjoyable trip out. It didn’t completely blow me away, but it was solidly put together, well-performed, and a good reminder of why live theatre remains such a special experience.
I left entertained, if not enchanted.
Score: 6/10
Not quite a magical journey through Narnia for me but still a worthwhile escape from the real world for a couple of hours.
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