Mirror Magazine

First it seemed there was chaos that no amount of magic could resolve. Leopards and Beavers hastened to the familiarity backstage to put on their make-up. Enfolded in a long red evening dress, ‘Susan’ held up a hairpiece of luscious black curls, waiting patiently until ‘Lucy’ stopped scratching his short, spiky hair. Sheathed in a robe of golden fur, an imperial lion stood against this chaotic backdrop, and ordered the cast to simmer down, while the menacing ‘White Witch’ struggled against the laws of physics to walk elegantly in a long skirt and three-inch heels.

Yet, as the first familiar notes of Walt Disney’s “Bare Necessities” rang out in the main hall of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, I was transported to the enchanted kingdom of Narnia, where mystery could be explored by anyone to their heart’s content… If only they dared.

“Once a king or queen in Narnia, always a king or queen.” These words of Aslan, spoken with graceful determination, capture the essence of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe. As Lucy stepped through the nondescript wardrobe that opened into an extraordinary world of talking animals under a spell of eternal winter, I was amazed by the charisma that this production seemed to radiate; one that would effectively capture the imagination and curiosity of younger viewers, while greeting adult viewers with a remarkable level of respect and intelligence.

As the story went on, each enigma melted away like snowdrops in the sun, as the play rose from minute seeds of mystery into a fully-fledged fireworks display. The narrative, took me back in time to the period of World War II, where Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie discover a magical world inside a wardrobe. When they arrived, they learned that the world, which was populated by enchanted creatures, was undergoing a widespread political conflict of its own. This conflict reached the boiling point upon their arrival.

The introduction to the land of Narnia is a warm welcome bestowed upon Lucy by Tumnus, the faun, hallmarked by his vivacity and good nature. However, I discovered all that lay behind the wooden doors of the wardrobe were not quite so amusing and affectionate. Maugrim, the wolf growled as he easily pinned Edmund to the ground time after time, while the White Witch aspired to destroy all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve who threatened her crown. It was certified death for humans and a walk off a cliff for anyone who crossed the path of this sinister sorceress. As a fellow daughter of Eve, I was happy to remain unnoticed in the audience, rather than face a vicious battle with the Pevensies, alongside Aslan, to rescue Narnia from the clutches of the White Witch.

I found the performances by the actors who play both human and non-human roles to be unswervingly excellent. The actors themselves were free, affable and engagingly poised. The special effects and props were effective in their addition of more colour to the production. I felt it was the strength of these effects, coupled with the ease of the performance that ensured every word was precious and every moment climactic.

The scene that seized my attention and hurled it towards the fundamental nature of the whole production was the battle between the good and evil forces of Narnia. In this scene, guilt and expiation, sacrifice and redemption, death and resurrection, the triumph of good over evil, all remained preserved. As the animals that represented the malice of the White Witch collided with the animals that embodied the nobility of King Aslan, it was difficult to miss the essence of valour, nobility and evil, which emanated from the stage.

“The casting had to be done cautiously and methodically,” said Vinodh Senadeera, the director of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, adding that the journey to Narnia, although a fun-filled one, has been exhausting since the beginning. Every cast member had to be unique and special. The faun, the wolf and the lion had to be agile and their movements deliberate and animal like, while the chemistry has to be perfect between the Pevensie children. When the cast members were picked, there was always a reason. ‘Peter’ and ‘Susan’ are brothers in real life, and the two children who play Lucy are best friends. Edmund happens to be the odd one out, which is perfect, because in the play, he is the oddball. The faun, the lion and the wolf were picked, because of their knack for sports and dexterity. When it was time to choreograph the battle scene, I let Tarik (Tumnus, the faun) and Denham (Maugrim, the wolf) plan it out, because I wanted it to be authentic, chaotic and essentially boyish.”

“My character is seductive, vicious and manipulative,” said Dilesh Dias, who plays the White Witch of Narnia. “At first, I found it exceedingly difficult to act as a girl. When I descend my carriage, my dress always gets entangled in something. But the worst is having to wear three-inch heels in a battlefield, where everyone else keeps both their feet on solid ground. But I enjoy playing the woman, who has cast a spell over an entire kingdom out of sheer malice. It’s quite a rush.”

“My character is an authoritative figure who has to look after the children when they are away from home, and command Aslan’s army in Narnia,” said Ranshan Gomez, who plays the role of Peter Pevensie. “I have to communicate a lot of responsibility, brotherly love, as well as exasperation at the peculiar antics of my brother Edmund.” Singing a different note, the irrepressible Edmund, played by Mario Attanayake said, “I am the black sheep of the family, and playing this role has been a lot of fun. The acting comes naturally to me, as I basically am a rebel at heart, and all I have to do is act as myself!”

The role of the innocent faun in the play is played by Tarik Jayasuria, who is a living, breathing Karate Kid in real life. “My character leads a miserable life in Narnia, as he’s forced to do things that are against his will. The first time he breaks free is when he makes friends with Lucy and in exchange for her friendship, he gets turned into stone. I always have to maintain a front of being soft-spoken and mellow. This has been a bit of a stretch, because no one with a sense of humor can remain mellow, when Dilesh is tripping on his white heels!” Revealing a contrasting story, Denham David, who plays the role of the charismatic wolf said, “I enjoy playing my character, because it’s very fluid and dynamic. It requires me to be free and my cadetting background has definitely helped me a lot. Though once, when I started out, I lost my voice after growling so much. But it has been a great deal of entertainment for me, because I’m more or less an animal in human form!”

“Animals carry out the bulk of this play,” said Shanil Wijesinha, who plays the role of King Aslan, the creator of Narnia. “In an ordinary play, animals are just there for decoration, and the most they do is scamper around. But this production, with its main spotlight focused on animals, require the characters to be natural beasts. Everyday, before I perform, I look out of the window at the trees and at the children who run around, and ask myself how I would feel if I was responsible for creating all of that. Then I feel very much like a creator and king. I find my part to be very challenging, because even though I am a creator, I am also an animal. It is very hard to communicate all that noble dignity, while at the same time, coming across as an animal.”

“It was quite exciting to create a play from a story of which the public is aware,” said Milindra Kulugammana, who plays the humorous character of Mr. Beaver. “The Chronicles Of Narnia, is as popular as the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and has provided us with a great advantage – in this play, the public knows what to expect,” he said. Voicing a different opinion, Vinodh Senadeera said, “Although it is generally a good thing to perform a story, which the public is aware of, it can also bring about the difficulty of having to live up to certain expectations. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe was a box office hit. The computer generated special effects onscreen have to be compensated for through words and action. You have to create your own magic.”

In The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, I found magic. It is enough to make anyone want to revel in this novelty I have discovered.

Don’t miss the magic of Narnia from May 25-29 at S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lacvinia at 7 p. m. Tickets available at College, the Barefoot Gallery and the Liberty Plaza Lobby.