The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is Oxford's 'mane' event this year

Walking down Oxford High Street, I spot a notice outside Magdalen College giving details of events taking place to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of one of Magdalen’s most famous Fellows, C. S. Lewis. During the 29 years he served the college, Lewis wrote a large number of books, both scholarly and designed for general readers. But they pale into insignificance when compared with his Chronicles of Narnia series, which began with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950 — Narnia sales now top 100 million copies in 47 languages.

Passing the Magdalen notice could not be more appropriate, for I’m on my way to a rehearsal of a brand new stage adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe nearby at Cowley Road Methodist Church. As I arrive, a train guard blows his whistle and waves a green flag.

“This is the beginning of the story, where four children are being sent from London to Suffolk as evacuees,” explains director Charlotte Conquest. “It’s a very scary time for them, but also full of adventure and hope, as they leave the horrors of wartime London behind. They’ll be playing a game of hide and seek, and they’ll be drawn towards a ward-robe, standing in a corner. ‘Shall we hide in there?’ they wonder. Then something in their subconscious will draw them inside.”

Charlotte is directing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for Creation Theatre. It’s their Christmas show this year. “It’s quite an interesting new departure for Creation,” she says. “We’ve certainly used a new adaptation before, but what’s really exciting this time is that we have got a lot of music in the show. The music furthers the story all the time, so in some senses you could say it’s a musical. All our cast are trained singers as well as being actors, so we’re working with quite a new animal. That’s been a lot of fun already. But of course we’ll still have our usual magical storytelling as well.”

When, I ask Charlotte, did she first encounter C. S. Lewis’s classic tale of the four evacuee children who are transported to Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures, ruled over by the White Witch?

“I met it at school, when I was eight or nine. I really identified with the character of Lucy, because she has the heart and soul that runs through the story. I found myself looking at wardrobes differently, and thinking: ‘I would love to step in there, go to a magical world, and find out more about myself’. That’s something that happens to all four children. Also, it’s wonderful to be carried away, out of the classroom, when you’re that age!”

Also enchanted by Lucy, the youngest of the four evacuee children, is 13-year-old Carys Bufford.

“I’ve grown up with the story,” she tells me enthusiastically. “I remember watching the film, and thinking: ‘This is great’. I just wanted to be Lucy: I got my hair cut in her style, and I wanted brothers and sisters like her — I’m an only child.”

Alas, Carys hasn’t landed the role of Lucy this time round, such are the hard knocks of professional theatre. Auditioned from Creation’s flourishing Drama Club, she’s playing what fellow 13-year-old actor Jamie Shepherd describes as “back-up people”.

She adds: “We act as wolves, tree spirits, all sorts of things.”

But, she continues: “It’s amazing just to be in the show in any way. You’re standing inches away from a professional actor. It’s surreal, you think the actors will be scary, but they’re actually humorous — they smile and make jokes.”

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe North Wall Arts Centre December 6-January 4 Tickets: 01865 766266