Not Cricket’s new production of
A testament to the talent of the company that they are able to stay true to the stranger moments of the original story while still make them both engaging and accessible to their young audience.
The show tells the classic tale of Alice: the girl who followed a stranger down the rabbit hole and ends up entering the strange and confusing world of Wonderland. This production sets the tale in a Victorian attic and this wonderful setting pervades the entire aesthetic of the show. Costumes and props are improvised with items you might find in an attic, ranging from ladders and curtains to old umbrellas and basins. Both lights and sound are used well to help set the mood and establish the more fantastical elements of the piece. One particularly fabulous example was the clever creation of the Cheshire cat through a pair of small lamps and a collection of fairy lights.
The mood that the show provides is only enhanced by the talented cast, who all seamlessly switch between multiple characters and bring forth energy, humour and a talent for witty wordplay worthy of Lewis Carroll's tale. Even better, they demonstrate a confidence in their young audience by including them in the show, frequently asking for their help and talking to them. In one stand-out scene, they bring dozens of them onto the stage to dance.
The show takes a few scenes to find its energy and loses the attention of younger viewers at some points, especially during the shows beginning when it’s setting up the rules of Wonderland. But when it has them, it really has them. The kids laugh hysterically at even the most wordy and logic-based jokes. Indeed, it a testament to the talent of the company that they are able to stay true to the stranger moments of the original story while still make them both engaging and accessible to their young audience.
