Within five minutes of the lights going down, the wardrobe had been opened, and Square Chapel became Narnia.

With Rick Ferguson taking the role of narrator and everyone's favourite fawn, Mr Tumnus, we were soon up to speed with the story.

The four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are played by some of the 28 local children who auditioned against 150 others for a part in one of the two casts alternating in the 15 performances.

The stand-out young cast members were Phoebe Crawford, playing Lucy, and Nathan West, who was a perfect choice for the rebellious Edmund. And there was a star turn from the dancing deer, Josephine Tomlinson.

Lorna Lewis, played the evil White Witch perfectly, making both children and adults squirm.

With so much to fit in, it's no wonder some parts of the story were rushed, but there's more than enough in the production by James Beale and Ben Cutler, who also plays Aslan and Mr Beaver, to keep anyone of any age happy.

There is plenty of stage trickery and inspiring costumes to transport both the cast and audience to a snowy Narnia.

The run has sold out, but if you are one of the people holding a ticket, cherish it. The show ends tomorrow.

Ruth Mosalski