Alice in Wonderland

It was good to see your company performing once again following the pandemic with this sell out 30th anniversary performance. Your programme clearly shows how well your group is supported by the local community.

It was a pleasure to be greeted by members of the cast in costume and I thought your choice of merchandise was inspired.  There were many children throughout the room happily displaying their flashing bunny ears.

The hall was set out with flat and raked seating, the lighting and sound was controlled from the back of the hall.  A curtained stage was set up with steps to the auditorium stage right and an exit stage left.

It was great to see you had a signer at the front of the hall, a useful resource not available to all. I did wonder if it would have been possible to have her lit to help those who were using her skills.

The script; which I presume was an in house one because no author was credited; was based on the well-known Alice in Wonderland tale with Alice, White Rabbit, Queen and King of Hearts, Mad Hatter, March Hair, Dormouse, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum and the Caterpillar. The additional characters transformed the story into what is expected in a pantomime.  The tale contained local references, comments about the pandemic and quips aimed specifically at the adults. The script took us through the story to a satisfying conclusion but I do feel it would have benefitted from some editing to move the pace and attack along and keep the audience’s attention.

The lighting and sound were set up on two vertical trusses at the front of the hall. The cast were well lit when performing and gobos were used to for lighting effects.  The music was varied and played at an appropriate level.

The different scenes were depicted by painted backdrops, front cloth and wings.  It was good to see the difference between the Probus set and those in Wonderland. The Wonderland scenes were very colourful but sometimes lacked a little depth.  The prison checkerboard scene was very effective, congratulations. The props were appropriate and handled well by the cast I especially liked the teacups at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.

The costume team had their work cut out with a cast of nearly sixty.  Playing cards were evident in many of the costumes set in Wonderland. All the chorus costumes fitted well and the principals’ outfits were recognisable to those who know Alice in Wonderland and worn well.

The Essex Cat’s outfit was brilliantly created and enhanced by the makeup, wig and accessories as was the White Rabbit’s costume.  I especially liked the detail in the ‘Mini’ costumes following the ‘drink me’ scene. Time had obviously been taken to ensure the costumes were as near to the adults as possible, it was also great to see a big Dormouse which added to the illusion.

The chorus were, enthusiastic, well-rehearsed, knew their words and smiled. The choreographer created some simple routines for the complete chorus and more involved dances for the adult chorus all were performed extremely well.

The Caterpillar was well dressed and ensured we knew which scene we were on.

 Alice arrived on the stage and she certainly looked the part, she spoke with a good clear voice, sang well and interacted with the chorus, well done.

The White Rabbit bounced out of the rabbit hole; this was a brilliant portrayal; her diction was good and clear and she kept up her character throughout continually jumping around the stage.

We were then introduced to Alice’s love interest, Jack Diamond, whose name caused problems later in the plot. He was full of energy and interacted well with the audience especially with his present for Alice. He delivered the puns with conviction, an excellent performance.

Mabel the dame, who was beautifully attired, arrived from the back of the hall greeting the audience as she moved down the stairs. Mabel had a very commanding manner on stage, interacted well with other characters and kept up a conversation with a selected male in the audience throughout the show. She had a wicked sense of fun and set her cap at the King. Many congratulations.

We were transported 336 kilometres across the country from Cheshire to Essex to meet our next character and what a fantastic interpretation. The voice and the mannerisms were indicative of our learnt expectation of characters from Essex. An exceptional depiction.

The Queen and King of Hearts arrived on the stage with their Jokers. The Queen had a powerful, demanding manner that expected reverence, the King was a gentler character who was sometimes a little quiet but found a backbone in the end. The Jokers with the help of their 1,2,3 spoke in unison.

Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee interacted well together and with the audience and brought some comedy moments to the show. It was good to see a slapstick scene but I felt it could have been developed.

We were then welcomed with Alice, Jack and Mabel to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. With such an experienced actor playing the Mad Hatter the energy and pace immediately increased on the stage. He interacted with both the actors and members of the audience. His presence infected the other members of the cast and the scene was excellent. The March Hare, who we had heard use his tuneful voice previously, portrayed his character with aplomb. The Dormouse quietly completed the trio.  The traditional ‘drink me’ and ‘eat me’ elements were on the table and were cleverly used to let some of your younger members develop their acting skills, along with a big Dormouse who performed well.  The Mini Alice, Jack, Mabel, Mad Hatter and March Hare smiled and looked like they were enjoying their moment of fame. I understand the cost of any form of amplification can be exorbitant but it would have been great for the audience to hear these young actors clearly. Saying that I must commend you Mini Queen. She had such wonderful stage presence and enveloped the persona of the Queen and was truly fearsome. Well done young lady a definite star of the future!

Following reinstatement to his normal size Jack found himself sent to work in the Wonderland Garage. The three young mechanics obviously didn’t think much of his skills! These young men bounced off each other brilliantly, they delivered their lines clearly. Great characterisation.

Our three main characters were then locked up in prison by the wicked Queen. It was an inventive idea to use an Alexia on stage. Maybe some elocution lessons would help Mabel get it to follow her instructions. It was pleasing to see that some of your younger members were animated with each other in their small groups during the prison scene. A skill which will stand them in good stead later on.

The story moves on with the help of EC.  Alice, Jack and Mabel are attired in disguise as flowers in the Queen’s Garden. Whilst the Queen has a rest, we think that Jack will eventually be able to declare his feelings for Alice but the March Hare and EC have other ideas. This routine was cleverly engineered even though no one wanted the March Hare to sing!

The topical introduction of an Ant and Dec trial eventually led to the Queen’s capture and the coronation of a new king of Wonderland. It was very surreal to have so many Ant’s and Dec’s masked look a likes in the room but I would like to commend the rap. What a difficult chant to do but it was performed confidently by your Ant and Dec, many congratulations.

Like all good pantomimes Alice, Jack and Mabel are able to return of Probus for a wedding.

The audience showed its appreciation during the walkdown and the children loved the confetti canon at the end. Well done to all involved both on and off stage.

Disclaimer 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be affected by that knowledge. 

The NODA Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular, the performance.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre. 

 It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

Sheila Gill

Representative NODA Southwest District 2

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