Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic is brought to life in this sumptuous production of Alice in Wonderland – Live on Stage at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide.
Review by Sharon Harrington
If you loved reading Alice in Wonderland or watching the Disney cartoon as a child, you’ll love Penny Farrow’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s iconic tale.
Most would know the timeless story of Alice, who tumbles down a rabbit hole and finds herself in Wonderland, where nothing is as it seems. She encounters strange and whimsical characters; a white rabbit who is late for a very important date; a hookah-smoking caterpillar who speaks in riddles; a Cheshire cat who is always smiling; an eccentric mad hatter hosting a never ending tea party; and a cantankerous queen looking for any excuse to chop off a head!
From the moment the show begins, the audience is transported into the world of Alice and her adventures with the madcap residents of Wonderland. This is thanks to the beautifully designed backdrop, lavish costumes, delightful puppetry, and gorgeous lighting, setting the stage aglow in neon hues of blue, red and green. Plus the wonderful performances by Alice and her supporting cast.
Children will identify with the curious and confused Alice and love the zany fun and physical comedy of the Wonderland characters. Adults and older children will enjoy the plentiful wordplay and puns galore! The are also lots of fun pop culture references popped in for the adults (the butterfly tells Alice she is the wind beneath his wings), and nods to teen slang, like “Slay Queen” written in neon lights behind the murderous Queen of Hearts.
It’s lovely for parents and grandparents to revisit this favourite childhood story and introduce their little ones to the story for the first time. I could hear grandparents seated nearby telling their grandkids of the parts of the show they were most looking forward to and their favourite characters. I, for one, have always been partial to the hippy trippy caterpillar!
Play & Go attended with children aged 7-8 years old, and we all loved it! At 60 minutes long, this show would be suitable for younger children also and anyone who enjoys this timeless tale.
Alice in Wonderland is showing at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide for a limited time. It is also showing in Queensland in April 2024, so if you miss it and happen to be interstate, we highly recommend a tumble down the rabbit hole!
Alice in Wonderland | Adelaide Festival Centre | 1–
Image Credit: All photos by ROBERT CATTO
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. All photos are by Play & Go (unless specified).
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