The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was a Vanessa Ford Production. I met her casting team when they were seeing people for a musical version of A Christmas Carol, which was to run one Christmas at the Chichester Festival Theatre.

 

They liked me and were certainly interested in casting me as young scrooge, however at the time my singing voice was not good enough. I remember a weary casting director taking me back to the piano for one last try but it was to no avail.

 

A few days later I got a message from my agent, Barrie Stacey at the time, telling me Vanessa Ford wanted me for the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. I was disappointed; the work involved a series of bit parts and a large slice of stage management.

 

I really did try my best but it was not a happy time for me, the photograph below pretty much sums it up. I have never been particularly good at making a single line count. I had missed rehearsals and couldn't really see the direction in which the production was going.

 

The cast had already bonded and I felt a little left out, though as you can see cast members made an effort.  I can't remember the gentleman's name above but he played a particularly good Mr Tumnus. 

There were a number of dates in the suburbs before it went into the Lyric Hammersmith for Christmas. I wasn't sad to see it go!

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