Alice In Cuckoo Land

Alice in Cuckoo Land takes the beloved traditional story and adds a delightful panto twist. The Queen of Tarts has imprisoned everyone, including Santa, and stolen the joy from Cuckoo Land. Enter Alice and her mother, the Dame, to save the day.

Performed at the village community centre, the Wilburton Theatre Group did a commendable job of infusing early Christmas spirit. The opening curtain revealed a whimsical backdrop filled with colourful foliage, thanks to the impressive work of Ann Sherwood (scenery/set painting) and Alan Brierley (set building). The jail scene’s perspective was particularly effective, though quicker scene changes would have been appreciated, likely hindered by backstage space limitations.

The show kicked off with a youthful ensemble performing simple choreography by Kathie Pugh to The Cure’s “Lovecats.” This production gave nine aspiring young actors their moment to shine, allowing them to switch characters, enjoy perfoming and make their loved ones proud. It’s always heartening to see groups nurturing young talent.

Alice (Claire-Rose Charlton), Floppy (Alyssia Radford), and Chester (Bethany Webb) engaged the audience with a few witty one-liners, setting the interactive tone for the panto. Old Mother Wobbly (Ian Worsfold) was a standout, effortlessly balancing humour for both adults and children. Margot Barber’s costumes were simple yet effective, enhancing the overall performance.

In Cuckoo Land, the Queen of Hearts (Katie Lewis) brought energy and pace, eliciting boos and hisses from the audience. Her counterpart, the King of Hearts (Mary Wade), added a touch of Christmas spirit, with a humorous moustache change in every scene. Florence Brebner, as the Knave of Hearts, did really well in her mischievous moments for one so young.

Tweedle Dumb (Jack Grant) and Tweedle Dumber (Elizabeth Smith) handled the filler scenes well, keeping the audience entertained during scene changes. Both young actors showed promise and should be encouraged.

The Hatter (Timea White) and Santa Claus (Gerry Crowe) rounded out the cast, with the Hatter’s physical comedy and frequent side glances adding to the fun.

While the show felt more like a play and could have done with a few more songs for my liking, there were a few chorus numbers and the finale, Slades ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ exemplified what this panto was all about – giving all the cast their moment in the limelight. As they all came together in their twos and threes to sing a verse around the hand held mic, it reminded me why we do this, to give something back to the community and have some fun. Wilburton Theatre Group and Nigel Moorhouse (director) did a good job of entertaining this village community. Bravo to all involved!

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