There was a full house for the Sunday matinee of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE by Chatswood Musical Society (CMS) and they absolutely loved the show. They laughed and sighed in all the right places and cheered and clapped the performers at the bows. That’s the thing about the supporters of amateur and pro-am theatre companies in Sydney, they are very loyal. There are lots of reasons why but top of the list is that everyone involved in putting on a show like this works really hard to earn and honour that support.

A musical interpretation of the C. S. Lewis classic by Irita Kutchmy, the show tells the story of four siblings who are evacuated from London during the Blitz. They find themselves in the country house of a professor (Nick Paddon-Row). The old house is also a museum with daily tours. Scared by the housekeeper tour guide, Mrs Mackready (Tracey Sharp) they explore the rooms and play hide and seek to avoid the stern Mrs M. The youngest, Lucy, hides in a wardrobe with fur coats and discovers a secret door to Narnia. Eventually all the children end up going through the back of the Wardrobe into the land ruled by the evil Ice Queen. They become the saviours of the Narnia just as Narnia saves them by reminding them that familial love is the strongest bond.

It is an interesting parallel to consider. Theatre companies are a lot like families, and one can feel the love and positive  energy shared by the performers on stage.

This is a kid’s show and the audience is made up of grandparents and parents enjoying the experience with the children. There were a few young people playing on their video screens before the curtain but mostly they were interacting with the adults. The Nanna in front of us was going through the program asking questions like, “Do you know what a choreographer is?” and then explaining. The man behind us was discussing with his son which parts of the book might make the best songs. It’s an audience ready to enjoy what’s on offer and it would be easy to short change them. Kids often get fed rubbish dressed up as entertainment. Television is full of examples of this. The good news is that when this curtain opened to the kids they were presented with a fully realised and colourful show.

The terrific set design by Neil Shotter draws us into the new world. It is well supported by the lighting, designed by James Wallis. Wardrobe Mistresses Beth Pilley and Ashleigh Vissel obviously love what they do. Grey and drear for the Winter Narnia, the set is suitably drab and cold to begin. It is populated with woodland creatures in costumes which allow for creative movement but plainly evoke the animal. Greens and yellows appear in the lighting as the cold lifts and the colour of the set lifts with it, adding much to the mood of the ending. Shotter has cleverly placed small perspex inlays into the set and these act as mirrors, reflecting back the lighting which is creating the warmth.

Inevitably though, it is the performances that carry the most weight with audiences. The Pevensie children lead the way. Lucy (Sophia Barnard) is a tiny dynamo with a large responsibility and she takes it all on board. She steers away from cuteness and concentrates on character, listening and responding like a pro. The relationship between her and her sister, Susan (Ella-Jane Sharpe) is lovely and well expressed. Sharpe has the makings of a delightful mezzo voice and her singing is a highlight. Jude Paddon-Row as Edmund is suitably sulky and disenchanted and his solo song is loudly appreciated by the crowd. Displaying the leadership and sensible nature in inherent in Peter, the oldest of the four, is Hayden Tonazzi.

Musical Director, Sam Lee, has worked hard with these children and their quartets and trios are really enjoyable. Similarly, Director and Choreographer, Laura-Beth Woods obviously creates well with children. She has given movement to the large ensemble cast and the mice entourage which supports the story and adds interest rather than just filling the stage. “The Spell is Broken” is a travel song and she moves the cast around the stage with a sure and subtle hand.

She knows her audience too. Her Ice Queen (Zoe Landis) is not scary so as to frighten the little ones, but they get the idea. When there is a necessarily scary scene, the death of Auslan (Jeffrey Hampson) she has thoughtfully built in a slightly longer scene change to allow parents to provide any comfort needed. There is genuine emotion for an audience to experience here. Mr Tumnus (Oliver Roach) is sympathetic and the Beavers (Ema Franklin and Ben Dennis) steal all their scenes.

As the families tumbled out of the theatre, they were excited and happy and loudly giving their opinion about their favourite scenes and characters. It’s not habit that makes audiences come back to shows like this, it’s a belief that they will get have an experience which has been crafted for their enjoyment. Congratulations to the almost 100 people mentioned in the program for your dedication and thank you for your commitment to staging live, accessible work.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE continues at the Zenith Theatre, Chatswood until the 22nd of November. The remaining performances are this Wednesday 19 November at 7.30pm, this Friday 21 November at 7.30pm and this Saturday 22 November at 2pm an  7.30pm.

For more about THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE visit http://chatswoodmusicalsociety.org/