Alice Through the Looking-Glass
Photo. Supplied
By Sam Fowles
Monday 28th September 2009
Even as a child, I was always slightly suspicious of Lewis Carroll. There just never seemed to be any point. I suppose I must have been a tragically cynical seven year-old as a result. Yet, thirteen years later I still cannot claim to understand the entertainment value of several random characters talking rubbish for two hundred pages to an annoying little girl. That was until I saw this show. A combination of witty direction and jubilant performances convinced me that looking for a point really, well, wasn’t the point. One simply has to embrace the nonsense.
Director Philippa Dunn works wonders with the classic story, introducing an inventive design based on the vaudeville and magic shows of Victorian England. Magic tricks were included with enough subtlety not to become a gimmick, and built up to, what actually became, a rather spectacular finale involving a vanishing cabinet. Draco Malfoy himself would have been impressed. Dunn’s other major conceptual coup was the use of Carroll’s poetry. Shelton Lindsey's deliciously creepy quasi narration breathed new life into the old rhymes and lent the piece a certain darkness, placing it firmly in the realms of the adult audience at which it was aimed.
Any play so conceptually ambitious runs, to a certain extent, the risk of seeming slightly self- indulgent on the part of the director. 'Alice through the Looking-Glass’, however, trod the line perfectly, largely due to the performances of an excellent, and clearly well drilled, ensemble cast. Emma Cottam was compelling in the title role, and was more than ably supported by Helen Stevens, Ella Wright, Sophie Spears and Catherine Slater all showing great dexterity in playing a variety of roles. Joe Potts, who seems intent on cornering the market in the portrayal of flamboyant aristocrats, raised gales of laughter with his preening Humpty Dumpty and country accented knight. One of the highlights of the show was his duel with Lindsey to rescue Alice, acted out as chess pieces and accompanied by dialogue that was none the worse for appearing to wander slightly off script.
All in all a fantastic way to spend an hour.
Monday 28th September 2009
Even as a child, I was always slightly suspicious of Lewis Carroll. There just never seemed to be any point. I suppose I must have been a tragically cynical seven year-old as a result. Yet, thirteen years later I still cannot claim to understand the entertainment value of several random characters talking rubbish for two hundred pages to an annoying little girl. That was until I saw this show. A combination of witty direction and jubilant performances convinced me that looking for a point really, well, wasn’t the point. One simply has to embrace the nonsense.
Director Philippa Dunn works wonders with the classic story, introducing an inventive design based on the vaudeville and magic shows of Victorian England. Magic tricks were included with enough subtlety not to become a gimmick, and built up to, what actually became, a rather spectacular finale involving a vanishing cabinet. Draco Malfoy himself would have been impressed. Dunn’s other major conceptual coup was the use of Carroll’s poetry. Shelton Lindsey's deliciously creepy quasi narration breathed new life into the old rhymes and lent the piece a certain darkness, placing it firmly in the realms of the adult audience at which it was aimed.
Any play so conceptually ambitious runs, to a certain extent, the risk of seeming slightly self- indulgent on the part of the director. 'Alice through the Looking-Glass’, however, trod the line perfectly, largely due to the performances of an excellent, and clearly well drilled, ensemble cast. Emma Cottam was compelling in the title role, and was more than ably supported by Helen Stevens, Ella Wright, Sophie Spears and Catherine Slater all showing great dexterity in playing a variety of roles. Joe Potts, who seems intent on cornering the market in the portrayal of flamboyant aristocrats, raised gales of laughter with his preening Humpty Dumpty and country accented knight. One of the highlights of the show was his duel with Lindsey to rescue Alice, acted out as chess pieces and accompanied by dialogue that was none the worse for appearing to wander slightly off script.
All in all a fantastic way to spend an hour.