Theatre / bristol old vic theatre school
Review: Alice in Wonderland, Redgrave Theatre
Photography by Graham Burke
Stage and screen adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s tales stand or fall on whether they can evoke the wonder and playfulness of the strange world into which Alice tumbles.
The riddling, inconsequential Mad Hatter; the mournful Mock Turtle; the casually despotic Queen of Hearts and her deck-of-cards entourage: it’s strange, beguiling and inimitable stuff, and a version worth its salt needs to find ways of translating that strangeness, that joy in language and the power of the imagination.
Thankfully, this Bristol Old Vic Theatre School production is alive to all the nonsense, weirdness and energy on offer. It’s blessed from the start with Philip Monks’ pacy, witty and pun-heavy script, inspired by the two Alice novels but taking a few light, well-judged liberties. A few new characters are introduced, but the original’s zany inconsequentiality and intellectual games are preserved.
After that, things are as we’ve come to expect from BOVTS. A superbly drilled cast, full of zest and energy, singing and acting their way through the story’s alternating mystery and mirth. Ruari Murchison’s stylish, adaptable set evokes well first the hazy summer languor of that riverside picnic where it all begins for Alice, and then the various stops on her tour around Wonderland’s strange internal logic. It’s at its best when solving, brilliantly, the puzzle of representing Alice’s tumble down the rabbit hole.
Costumes – a key factor in bringing this outlandish world to life – are brilliantly judged too, from Tweedledum and Tweedledee’s garish Billy Bunter garb to the Queen’s austere, Tudor-effect assemblage. Simplicity is often the answer here: the sleepy Dormouse is clad in a pair of pyjamas. Elsewhere, the characters’ personalities are translated beautifully in dress – so Carroll’s gnomic caterpillar is, here, an arch, tweed-clad tandy, played with superb drawling grace by Zed Josef. Humpty Dumpty’s legs, meanwhile, provide the evening’s comic high point.
All this technical, verbal and visual excellence is crowned, happily, by some strong, joyful performances. Standout mentions might go to Kate Cavendish, a graceful, arch and languid presence as the Dormouse and Knave of Hearts; Erin Doherty as the highly-strung, caterwauling Duchess; and Sullivan Brown and Simon Riordan, whose bumptious energy and quicksilver chemistry make Tweedledum and Tweedledee the captivating absurdists they should be.
A script packed with puns, riddles and linguistic gymnastics, matched by performances ripe with joy, expression and silliness, make this a colourful, mind-expanding and hugely enjoyable all-ages treat.
Alice in Wonderland continues at the Redgrave Theatre, Bristol until Thursday, 18 December. For more info and to book tickets, visit http://www.oldvic.ac.uk/whats-on/alice-in-wonderland-what-she-found-there.html
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