Ex-Eastender Sam set to head 'home' to Edinburgh as Narnia's evil White Witch

There seems to be no keeping ex-EastEnders star Samantha Womack away from Edinburgh these days, but then it is the city in which she spent her formative years.
Samantha Womack as Narnia's White WitchSamantha Womack as Narnia's White Witch
Samantha Womack as Narnia's White Witch

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Best known as Albert Square's Ronnie Mitchell, Womack returns to the Capital after recent successes playing the lead role in The Girl on the Train at the King's and as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family Musical at the Festival Theatre.

Today, the Evening News can reveal that the 48-year-old will come 'home' once again to play Narnia's evil White Witch in the smash-hit Leeds Playhouse production of C.S. Lewis’ classic The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which tours to King's, next February.

The Pevensie children, The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeThe Pevensie children, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Pevensie children, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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Step through the wardrobe into the enchanted kingdom of Narnia. Join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they wave goodbye to wartime Britain and embark on the most magical of adventures in a frozen, faraway land where they meet a Faun, talking Beavers, Aslan, the noble king of Narnia, and the coldest, most evil White Witch.

The actor whose other TV credits include the cult BBC comedy Game On and ITV’s gritty crime drama Liverpool 1, is delighted.

She says, "Having been a huge fan of C S Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I am thrilled to be playing the The White Witch. The book has always been a magical read and having watched incredible actors interpret this role I am excited to see what she holds for me.

"This production is so beautifully conceived with thrilling sets and costumes and an amazingly talented cast and creative team. I can’t wait to seduce, plot and terrify Narnia into a permanent winter."

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Womack spent her teenage years in Edinburgh and has previously spoken fondly of her time growing up as a Mod in and around Cramond; "I absolutely loved it. Laced gloves, winkle picker boots and riding on the back of my boyfriend’s scooter… it was such an iconic time and I associate my time in Edinburgh with the fashion of the day. I also vividly remember getting stuck on Cramond Island. The views were beautiful,” she recalled.

Joining her in the cast of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be, as the Pevensie children, Ammar Duffus (Peter), Shaka Kalokoh (Edmund), Robyn Sinclair (Susan) and Karise Yansen (Lucy). Aslan is played by Chris Jared, Mr Tumnus by Jez Unwin, Mr Beaver by Sam Buttery and Maugrim by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay.

The cast is completed by Oliver Bingham, Kate Parr, Grace Wylde, Johnson Willis, Rachel Dawson, Oliver Grant, Matthew James Hinchliffe, Sophie Naglik, Anthony Starr, Tash Holway and Brad Veitch.

Producer Chris Harper says, "We are so proud of the cast and creative team that we have assembled for our forthcoming tour of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and are delighted to welcome the wonderful and talented Samantha Womack as the White Witch. Sam promises to bring her own brand of icy wickedness to the role."

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Tickets for the show, which will run from February 8-12, 2022, are available from www.capitaltheatres.com

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