Learning their lions: How a children’s classic confounded Covid to come to Dublin

Michael Fentiman’s spectacular production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is coming to Dublin this week, but only after an almighty struggle against the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic

CS Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a firm favourite with kids for eight decades, is being staged at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre next week. Picture: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

In the spring of 2021, British theatre director Michael Fentiman was feeling pretty pleased with himself. His stage production of Amélie was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Musical Theatre Album category. It was also one of three shows supported by the British government’s Cultural Recovery Fund to reopen London’s West End.

Despite the pandemic challenges, it finally felt like Fentiman’s industry was getting back to normal. Yes, there was social distancing and ...