The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe

The cast & crew of 'The Lion, The
Witch & The Wardrobe' 2018

“Utterly brilliant, spellbinding and wonderful.  I have a lump in my throat as I think about it ....” Celia F

“Great evening last night - your show is amazing!!! Well done and very pleased that the BCA supported this production.” Steven Mindel, Chairman of the Barnes Community Association

“Emma King-Farlow has mounted a truly magical production…” Mia Gibbons, Churches Together in Barnes

Edmund (Alice Hope Wilson) & Lucy
(Lucy Evans) in the Narnian snow

“This production was such a pleasure.  The fine story by C.S. Lewis was performed by a great team of actors, all of them perfectly in character. The Christian allegory worked gently but effectively in the beautiful mediaeval St Mary's Church, Barnes. Acting the part of Aslan, the lion King of Narnia, is inevitably impossible, but Will Forrester gave it drama and dignity.  The White Queen & her wolf were superbly malevolent & frightening!  The opening 40’s dance set the scene in wartime Britain, from where the evacuee children escape through the wardrobe to Narnia.  Costumes were inventive & the simple set was used imaginatively.  Many thanks to all. A special evening.” Anonymous audience Member

Maugrim (Carly Borrow) captures
 Edmund (Alice Hope Wilson) 

These were just a few of the many personal reviews that we received from audience members, following our recent(ish!) production of The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe at St Mary’s Barnes (29^th Oct – 3^rd Nov 2018).  The show turned out to be rather more of a challenge than I first envisaged, and perhaps not quite as financially successful as it could have been if we hadn’t found ourselves up against the final of The Great British Bake Off early in the week!  It was, however, even more successful than I hoped in terms of the glowing feedback received and, it seems, the very different but similarly positive experiences enjoyed by cast, crew and audiences alike.  Indeed, the cast and crew - quite possibly the loveliest group of people I have had the privilege of working with - remain astonishingly close knit and in regular contact, and we are still hearing how much the audience thought of the show nearly three months after closing night!

Mr Tumnus Sr (Martin Parsley) watches
Maugrim terrorise small children!

None of this would have been possible without the financial and practical support of St Mary's Church and help from the Barnes Community Association, who recognised the potential of the project early on and awarded us a £500 grant to put towards the considerable costs involved.  I am extremely grateful to both organisations for their faith in the production, and to Bishop Richard Harries, whose fascinating pre-show talk on C.S. Lewis ensured that, despite adding as many extra chairs as we could, we still had to turn people away on the Friday night!

The White Witch (Kat Merrick)

Finally, I am delighted that the success of the production has enabled us to make donations not only to St Mary's but also to two fantastic children's literacy charities, both doing invaluable work with disadvantaged children around the country: BookTrust and First Story.
This wonderful play brought to an end a year of exhausting and exciting achievements for Shadow Road Productions and we now look forward to an equally exhilarating 2019!

Robin Hood on the Radio!

The lovely Jean Somerville-Rabbitt from Wandsworth Radio's ArtsWatch programme joined us for a chat about Robin Hood in advance of this week's final four shows.  This interview was the result...

Robin Hood is on at the London Wetland Centre on Thursday and Friday evenings at 6.30pm and 8.15pm until July 1st 2016.  Get your tickets here: www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/london/whats-on/2016/06/09/robin-hood

Introducing Maid Marian!

Over on our Robin Hood crowdfunding campaign page, we have begun a short series of interviews with the cast, in order to allow our supporters to become a bit more familiar with both the tale we'll be telling at the London Wetland Centre next month and the lovely, talented people who will be bringing it to life.  I hope that you, too, might enjoy finding out more... :-)

Lindsey Huebner as Marian Fitzwalter, with Fed Zanni as Robin Hood



Please introduce yourself and your character.
My name is Lindsey Huebner and I will be playing the part of Marian in Shadow Road's exciting new production - taking over the London Wetland Centre this summer!

How old were you when you first read, watched or heard the story of Robin Hood and what did you think of it?
Some of my very earliest memories are watching Disney films with family members and close friends. Like the stories of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, I feel like the tale of Robin Hood has always been a part of me.
Although I'm mildly disappointed that Emma's interpretation doesn't have myself and Fed as foxes, I am overjoyed that the character of Marian is not your typical Disney damsel. Strong, capable and fierce in her love of Robin Hood, she is the kind of heroine I wish I'd encountered more in my childhood.

What made you want to get involved with this production of Robin Hood at the London Wetland Centre?
What really drew me to this production are those very aspects that make it unique!
First off, it is an outdoor promenade production. Pulling off a solid performance is a feat in and of itself... Add on top of that passing planes, rogue children/ducks/otters, honking geese, passing trucks, surprise weddings, and whatever weather the skies can throw our way, all whilst attempting to safely shepherd 30 audience members to our various locations... Well, it sounds like a pretty glorious challenge to me!
Secondly, I did martial arts as a youngster, and although I'm not in favour of real violence, I'm a big fan of stage combat! This was highly emphasised in the audition brief, and throughout the production we have gotten to work with Claire Llewellyn, an Associate Teacher at one of London's premiere stage combat clubs: RC-Annie.

What’s your favourite line spoken by your character – or any other - in the show?  No spoilers, please!
There are a few lines in this show that bring a smile to my face or give me chills, but out of context, they might not make a lot of sense to an innocent reader. This being said, one of my favourite lines in reference to Robin is, "Outlaw, yes, but never 'common'. He is but one in all the world."  I like it because of its simple truth, and through it we get a glimpse of the astounding love that Marian feels for Robin.

What’s your favourite thing about working in the theatre?  
There are loads of things that appeal to me about a career in theatre. My current favourite thing is the people one meets both off and on the stage. Casts come together quickly and, through performing together, the acts of vulnerability and trust give way to a sense of cameraderie like nothing I've ever experienced.

And your least favourite?
For what one gains in an ever-changing, fast-paced, fulfilling, creative career choice, one loses out in stability and security. Financial concerns are prevalent among actors - particularly those recently embarked upon this life path. Fortunately, such tribulations only enhance creativity and resourcefulness.

Tell us why we should come and see the show in two sentences or less!
You know the legend. Now become immersed in it.

Tickets for Robin Hood - at 6.30pm or 8.15pm on Thursdays and Fridays throughout June, from Thursday 9th June until Friday 1st July - are available from the Wetland Centre website HERE.

Robin Hood's Crowdfunding Campaign

Robin Hood Crowdfunding 2016 from Shadow Road on Vimeo.

 

Our crowdfunding campaign for our brand new production of Robin Hood at the London Wetland Centre has now begun and, with 28 days to go, we have already raised £415!  HUGE thanks to all of our lovely contributors - we really couldn't do this without you.

 

We've assembled an exciting selection of perks for the campaign so if you're at all interested in supporting independent theatre and important conservation work, or in the Wetland Centre, any of the cast and crew, Robin Hood, stage combat or many other excellent things, perhaps you'd like to pop over to our Campaign Page on Crowdfunder.co.uk and take a look? :-)

 

You can also see some of our £10 pledge thank you videos on the Shadow Road Vimeo page.  Hope watching them amuses you as much as making them amused us!  Who knows, we could be making one for you soon, too... ;-)

 

Tickets for the show - at the London Wetland Centre at 6.30pm or 8.15pm on Thursdays and Fridays throughout June, from Thursday 9th June until Friday 1st July - are available from the Wetland Centre website HERE.

 

We hope to see you there! :-)