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Abby Wain as Alice with Jack Quarton as The White Rabbit. Pictures: Robert Day Alice in Wonderland
Derby Theatre
**** WITH Christmas now knocking loudly on the
stage door it’s time for Midlands’s theatres across the region to serve
up their seasonal offering. With some venues opting
for the usual pantomime it always seems that anyone who chooses Lewis
Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland,
has a tougher job of sprinkling any seasonal cheer into this classic
tale of dreams and fantasy.
It’s a tough plot to adapt in that you can’t
really tamper with the story or characters in any diverse way or shoe
horn in any additional humour that creates any sense of Christmas in the
proceedings. This then is the dilemma that any company that
takes it on faces/ and the most writer Mike Kenny does here is adapt the
story with a modern day twist. In this version before Alice sets off down the
rabbit hole, we face what seems like an overlong introduction to the
fact she is waking up on a day where she faces a school examination. The
point that it is the most important day of her life and how the exam
will change her life forever is made over and over again in the first 15
minutes. It’s a bit of a stern opening for us and her as
poor Alice faces her exam fears; she is then bullied before being
regimentally marched off to the examination room. It’s enough to leave
any young person with real fears for their own academic future. Thankfully when the lecture on good grades gives
way, we finally sink back into the fantasy world that is classic Alice.
Director Sarah Brigham utilises a clever revolving set designed by Neil
Irish that smartly turns to change the setting quickly. With a mostly
electronic synth based soundtrack, the production features some amusing
and at times irritating songs by Ivan Stott and with his additional
adventurous sound work the production has a full sense of surround
sound. Abby Wain plays Alice and practically holds the
entire proceedings together as her journey takes place. Beginning her
descent with some skills on the high-rise silks, she drops in and
narrates, acts dances and sings confidently through the entire show. On her way she meets the characters we have all
come to know and love. The White Rabbit played by Jack Quarton, Dominic
Rye is the Mad Hatter decked out in his tartan outfit and even playing
the bagpipes at one point. There’s Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee played
John Holt Roberts and Paula James colourful as a pair of Mohican punk
rockers, and of course the Queen of Hearts played by Joanna Brown in a
costume that seems to have taken its inspiration from one of Madonna’s
old outfits. Elizabeth Eves plays the Duchess and almost steals the show
with her great performance and singing whilst Keshini Misha takes on the
caterpillar to cat morph and Helen Rimmer keeps nodding off as the
Dormouse. Special mention must be made to the younger cast
members who all performed really well adding the `aah factor ‘to the
show especially when Alice shrinks. The talented cast add to the music by all playing
their own instruments which adds to the fact that this version of Alice
is more musical theatre than mad hatter madness. Set against the
blackboard jungle set there are some colourful set changes but nothing
with any degree of a wow factor or seasonal wonderment. Overall this is a well crafted, well played show
for all ages and if you like your Christmas entertainment without a
Panto dame, the usual run of innuendos, political and social gags that
is often `full on‘ pantomime, then this entertaining production is the
one for you. To 07-01-16 Jeff Grant 06-12-16
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