This year marks 75 years since CS Lewis’ famous children’s book, “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” was published. Sadlers Wells have put on a ballet to commemorate this anniversary and I was fortunate to be able to go with my daughter and 12-year-old grandson. In preparation I borrowed the book from a friend and read it – I think I had only seen a TV production before.
Reading the book proved to be a moving experience. CS Lewis takes his readers, who I think he imagined would mainly be children, into the fantasy world of Narnia, where 4 children meet characters who are friendly, helpful and adventurous, but others who are evil, malevolent and destructive.
As this world unfolds, we begin to hear about Aslan, the mighty lion, who seems to have the power to make all things well. The white witch has a lot of power too however and wants only to kill and destroy. She turns on Edmund, one of the children, who has been rebellious and resentful of his siblings.
Aslan appears and starts to usher in Christmas joy and spring to a world that has only known winter and intense cold under the spell of the white witch. Edmund needs to be saved from the clutches of the white witch but the price she demands for setting him free is that Aslan himself has to be bound, tortured and killed.
Aslan gives his life to free Edmund. His death is witnessed by the 2 girls Susan and Lucy, who are then present when he is brought back to life and releases those who had been turned to stone by the witch, defeating her evil power and bringing in a new order of things, where joy and kindness prevail.
Over the years I have spent a lot of time and energy teaching children in Sunday groups and it is never easy to put across the wonder, power and vulnerability of Jesus in a way that makes the story come alive. In his portrayal of the mighty Aslan CS Lewis does it so well, and there are a number of parallels with the Easter story.
The stage production turned out to be half play/ half ballet, with a large metal Aslan propelled by 3 people and a human man dressed in animal fur speaking as Aslan. If you get the chance to go, or to read or re-read the book, I believe you may experience afresh the wonder of Jesus life and death through the portrayal of Aslan in Narnia.