Alice in Wonderland

Synopsis

Follow Alice down the rabbit hole as she meets the Mad Hatter, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat and many more bizarre characters from Wonderland.

Our Review:

9 December 2005

Elegance and authenticity of style are everything in this version of Alice in Wonderland, both in the adaptation (originally staged some 20 years ago) and in Ian Brown’s production. The late John Wells’ text preserves much of Lewis Carroll’s original, often sandwiching lines and phrases into his own lyrics.

Carl Davis’ mastery of pastiche is apparent in the White Rabbit’s bel canto or the hints of Gilbert and Sullivan in the Lobster Quadrille, while the spirit of temperance hymns and Victorian parlour ballads is never far away.

The sense of style for this production is set by the opulent (and reasonably priced) programme with colour reproductions of Sir John Tenniel’s illustrations, a picture guide to dancing the Lobster Quadrille, and everything else from scholarly articles to cut-outs and colouring sets for the younger element.

The elegance of Ruari Murchison’s designs (with Stephen Snell co-designer of the Tenniel-inspired costumes) and...

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Latest User Review

84.64.213.178) - 21 December 2005:

This is surely the best adaptation possible of this story (which surely wouldn't become a classic if it were written today). It IS a difficult piece to make theatrical, given that the book is so nonsensical, but this is pure theatre despite it all. It doesn't pretend to be a film (congratulations on daring to be sparing with the video) and the music - derivative though it is (and brilliantly so) - lifts it to a surreal level constantly. It IS long, and you do have to watch it moment by moment and enjoy it for what it is, not be frustrated by waiting for the drama to come along, but then you'll enjoy it. The performances are uniformly excellent, and Jonathan Gill, conductor of the show, deserves highest praise for achieving what surely is the best-sung (and played, for the band are outstanding)show around. Opera North should get their teeth into him while he is in Leeds....

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