Once, there was an acting troupe whose name was Ham Sandwich. This story is about their next performance, a rollicking stage adaptation of the C.S. Lewis classic The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
The opening tale from the Chronicles of Narnia series, adapted for the stage by playwright Joseph Robinette, is the winter show for the Ham Sandwich group, taking inspiration from the books and the arts to share the classic childrens’ tale with theatregoers.
It’s a new challenge for the acting group, including a collection of different elements cast, crew and directors haven’t used in the past.
“Our fantastic performance will have fauns, centaurs, unicorns and of course lions. There are even some elements that I have never seen Ham Sandwich do before. We have some fight choreography and some great battle scenes,” said co-director Leslie Fernandes.
“It’s certainly shorter. It’s a condensed version of the story, set up for the play. It’s a fun thing for the whole family and it certainly is a classic story,” co-director Mike Spencer added.
In total, 25 people are part of the show’s cast - more than half of whom are children.
The troupe will be adding in a non-traditional third show to be held Friday afternoon. Around 300 students from Flin Flon and Creighton will watch the performance at no cost. Hudbay has sponsored the extra Friday afternoon show.
Finishing touches on the finer details of the production are still ongoing, including construction for some basic pieces of the set.
“They are building some very impressive sets and I know the show will be great,” said Fernandes.
Spencer said the show will cater both to people who have experience with the book and play and people who have not.
“I hope that there are some people for who this is maybe the first version that’s got their attention. It’s a fun, exciting fantasy story for the whole family and it’s going to be very exciting.”
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will hit the R.H. Channing Auditorium stage Dec. 6 in the afternoon and evening and Dec. 7 in the evening.
