Prince Caspian (Radio Theatre)

In publication order (which is the ONLY way to read these stories! ;-P), this is the second book in the Chronicles of Narnia. I just finished the Focus on the Family dramatization of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and enjoyed it immensely, and I had high hopes for the second book, though it is not a high favorite of mine among the other books of the series. But it's Narnia, and of course I still love it.

For the most part, those high hopes were fulfilled. Focus on the Family again treats us to a professional dramatization of a classic story, and the voice talents are exceptional. Many times the actor's voice was not how I had imagined it would be, but by their second or third speech I quickly became reconciled to it by the show more excellence of their performances. Trumpkin was one character in particular who really grew on me. I love that they kept his brilliant, comic dialogue from the book. I laughed aloud when he shrieked in exasperation at the paw-sucking Bulgy Bear, "You're doing it this very moment!"

David Suchet's Aslan was again badly overplayed, but his part was brief and not as glaringly unpleasant as in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Douglas Gresham's introduction and closing comments were quite interesting, and I enjoy his deep rolling voice.

I did hear one very awful, very egregious mistake in the script. I believe it's on the first disc of PC, track six, around 2:30–2:50, Caspian is talking about how his uncle Miraz killed his father, and how Miraz sent his Nurse away for telling Caspian stories of Old Narnia. But Caspian says, "My father sent her away." My father?!? I don't know how such an awful mistake was not caught by someone in the production — at the very least, the actor playing Caspian! Did he not think through his lines at all?

Another small quibble was how, when he told the children the story, Trumpkin kept calling Miraz "King Miraz." This struck me as very odd coming from one who was an active part of the movement against Miraz, that held that Miraz was no legal king at all, but a usurper. Why would a member of the rebellion call the enemy "King"? In Trumpkin's eyes, that was Caspian's title. In the book I believe they just call him Miraz.

Besides that, the script was very faithful to the original, which thrills the purist in me to no end! I enjoyed this production very much, and I can't wait for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Recommended. show less

3 CD's; 200 minutes
Peter, Lucy, Susan, Edmund--and the magnificent lion, Aslan--are back in this thrilling dramatization of Prince Caspian, which begins when a young prince learns the truth of his father's murder. A ragtag army rallies to restore the throne to their rightful king as the four strangers from another world are thrown into the war. Featuring talented voice actors, film-style sound design, and a rich musical score, this story puts honor, loyalty, and truth to the test in a battle for the future of Narnia.