The Duchess of Cambridge met 150 youngsters from one of her chosen charities at a theatre performance tonight – almost in her front garden.

Kate attended the new production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by the special ThreeSixty Theatre for the children and teenagers of the Art Room charity. Being the patron, the show took place in Kensington Gardens.

Wearing a teal dress from the high street retailer Zara, coupled with a black jacked by Whistles, she watched the show with children from the charity before chatting with them in the interval.

She was given a cuddly toy of Aslan, the heroic lion at the centre of the Narnia books, by schoolgirl Suhani Kapoor.

The Duchess joked with the children, asking if the show had been scary for them.

No screaming too loud. I can now see your faces in the crowd so if you scream I know who you are!

After the show Kate met the cast and crew of the stage adaptation of CS Lewis’s novel, which features a combination of live-action and puppetry, after the curtain fell.

The Art Room uses art to help children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It works with 12 schools in London and Oxford and offers art as therapy to children and young people aged five to 16 to increase their self-esteem, self-confidence and independence.

Juli Beattie, founder and director of The Art Room, said being invited by the duchess to the performance had been a great experience for the children.

Having a royal patron like the Duchess of Cambridge is fantastic for a small charity like us.

To see the children’s reaction was overwhelming. It was a fantastic visual experience for all of them.

Kate has been its patron since January this year and chose the charity when ThreeSixty invited her to bring children for a special performance.