A colourful ride down the rabbit hole

By Owen James

Alice in Wonderland has been my favourite book ever since I was a child. Its timeless themes and madcap characters have lent the material to countless adaptations for more than 150 years, and this latest touring production is a faithful and colourful rendition that caters adeptly to the whimsy and adventure of children and adults alike.

As Alice ventures through Wonderland meeting assortedly chaotic characters and anarchic animals, she’s very pleased to quench her boredom from the riverbank at the top of the show. Younger children may find it hard to focus on longer scenes such as the Mad Tea Party or the trial of the Jack of Hearts, but overall this 60-minute production moves at a rate of knots, to keep every child engaged and entertained.

Adaptor and director Penny Farrow has ensured that despite the complex linguistic treats inherent in Lewis Carroll’s original text, her production delivers a world easily understood by children through larger than life caricatures and clear, comedic movement. Farrow relies greatly on the audience’s imagination to show Alice’s transformations when she grows and shrinks, and as ensemble members transform into doors, playing cards and wind, her very clever direction proves how little you need to tell a story.

Costumes by Diana Eden, Louisa Bannah and Gayle MacGregor are rich in colour and elaborate in design and detail. Kids especially loved the Caterpillar (Anthony Craig) and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee (Sarah Whalen and Justine Anderson), as well as the expertly realised puppets by Dieter Barry Creations.

Georgina Walker leads the cast as audacious Alice, bringing smiles to small faces throughout the audience from the moment she first steps onto stage. Every member of this eight-person ensemble plays their part with joy and boundless energy – children are mesmerised.

Alice in Wonderland is fantastic school holiday entertainment filled with colour, gorgeous music and costumes, enchanting puppetry and extraordinary storytelling, all of which will delight children of all ages.

Alice in Wonderland was performed 10 – 12 January at Melbourne’s Athnaeum Theatre before touring to Frankston, Bendigo, and Perth. See here for more information about dates and tickets.