Presented by Broadway Haus, produced by Ethan Walker, and directed by Penny Farrow, this production of Alice In Wonderland is an imaginative retelling of the Lewis Carroll classic tale with various elements taken from a variety of his poems, which returns to the Melbourne stage once again.
First staged in Brisbane over a decade ago, Alice In Wonderland gets bigger and better every year, and has expanded beyond Australia to the USA, and will later this year head to the UK’s West End.
The quirky characters and dialogue created by Carroll over 150 years ago lend themselves to endless possibilities of interpretation. While some of the language may go over kids’ heads with less commonly heard words today, mixed in with Carroll’s fantastical own creations, the rest of the production makes sure children and adults alike can easily follow each scene. The colour, expressions, and liveliness of the actions on stage fill in any gaps of understanding the dialogue.
A key part of the visual splendour is the clever puppetry by Chris Barlow and Deiter Barry, used impressively for magical transformations such as the smoking caterpillar into a butterfly, or the glowing smile of the Cheshire Cat. The animated movements bring even more life to the stage, well suited amongst the colourful and detailed costumes (Gayle Macgrego and Diana Eden), and whimsical set pieces (Nate Bertone). The whole look of the play feels very immersive, like we’ve all fallen down the rabbit hole with Alice herself!
Some notable standout performances in the production include Oliver Palamara as the March Hare, and Anthony Craig as the Caterpillar and Dormouse. The energy brought to their roles made all their scenes entertaining and humorous, especially during the Mad Tea Party scene.
While on the younger side amongst her fellow cast members, Éowyn Turner holds her own in the leading role. She is able to move the story forward amongst the chaos and comedy of the other characters, and thoroughly captures the curiosity and inquisitiveness required of Alice.
Although there were occasionally some extended pauses between dialogue and other audio queues which could be tightened up a little, overall, the show ran very smoothly. The night I attended, the whole audience was laughing along and applauded loudly at the end.
Alice In Wonderland had jokes for everyone, with references to the current phenomenon of Wicked, some pop culture relevant Sabrina Carpenter snippets, and several Titanic moments. These moments of modernity contrasted between the rest of the classic tale, helped to maintain the audience’s interest, and kept them expecting the unexpected.
With the runtime of just over an hour, Alice In Wonderland is the perfect length for families wishing to introduce their children into a theatre going experience. This story is delivered in half the time of a Broadway-style musical and a colouring book is also provided to children attending, which was appreciated by patrons as further engagement.
Alice In Wonderland is a tale that’s been retold in so many variations for a reason; it’s a timeless classic about curiosity, imagination, asking questions, and well, whatever you want it to be. This production pays great respect to its source material, while adding in fresh moments for an audience of today. Alice In Wonderland is a great family activity for the summer holidays.
Alice In Wonderland is now on at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne until January 18th before heading to the UK in July for its first ever West End run.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://aliceinwonderlandlive.com
https://www.athenaeumtheatre.com.au/shows/alice-in-wonderland
Photography supplied.