Image from the Paperback Stage's opening matinee performance of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on Saturday.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The Paperback Stage has returned from a long hiatus, but their rendition of C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been well worth the wait.
With the script adapted from the book itself by the production’s artistic director, Richard Grafton, it is a rare occurrence that a review can comment on the contents of the play itself. In this case, said commentary can be enthusiastic: while easy to understand and follow, the dialogue is deeply evocative of the style of the original text and well suited to the small, eight-person cast.
The decision to pare the cast down to eight people itself makes for a deeply interesting production, watching the actors seamlessly glide in and out of various characters, occasionally even on stage.
To be able to slip from persona to persona betrays a level of skill that is to be admired, especially from the younger half of the cast.
Even when being able to observe an actor put on a mask or attach a beaver tail in full view of the audience, the level of voice and movement work in each character truly let them shine in every moment of dialogue and smooth stage combat.
Perhaps one of the most standout parts of the show and what facilitated the actors to put on such a charming performance is the set, which comprises multiple levels of boxes, suitcases and furniture all arranged along the Medicine Hat High School theatre stage.
The mix is eclectic but cozy, in a way that almost evokes children playing pretend in an attic, something that strikes as appropriate due to the fantasy-turned-reality that is the story of Narnia itself. Umbrellas turn into trees and bushes, trunks prove to be hiding places for weaponry or costume pieces as well as contributing to the texture of the terrain, tapestries slide in and out of view to paint the greater landscape.
In the preview interview for the production, Grafton had told the News he hoped seeing the production would inspire the audience to read the classic novel themselves, something that is certainly accomplished. The faithful adaptation compels a level of curiosity as to the contents of the book while being well able to stand without prior knowledge of the story.
Overall, the performance shows a bright future for the Paperback Stage and the actors who have taken part in this comeback production. Medicine Hat is surely richer for having them here to add more life and art to the city’s already rich theatre scene.
If seeking something to do after Christmas is concluded, to allow the window of opportunity to close on the limited tickets still available for the remaining performances would be a foolish thing to do.
