B edazzling. Amazing. Kaleidoscopic. Wonderland, staged in the Edward Alleyn Theatre in December, was a spellbinding ‘myriad of menageries’ that invited us into a twisted modern reinvention of the classic Lewis Carroll tale. Students from Dulwich College and James Allen’s Girls’ School embraced the ensemble ethic, work- ing closely together on- and off-stage to take ownership of the material, to slick and dazzling effect. The original script, Alice Unhinged , was written by Joanna Billing- ton and Will Feasey with additional material from the Young Pleasance company, who created the piece for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016. We were given licence to add our own spin in our quest to conjure a vivid and psychedelic production. We began in a Wonderland-themed night club in Ibiza, with our strong-willed protagonist, Alice (Zachy Fleming, Year 11), approached by a startlingly smooth-talking Knave played by Will Barter-Sheppard (Year 13). Alice gets caught up in a moment of maniacal malevolence and has her drink spiked by the curiously captivating and charismatic Cheshire Cat. Storylines emerged between characters, enveloping us in a world of mystery, riddles and romance. Nia Keogh-Peters (Year 12) gave us a skit- tish White Rabbit, startling the audience with her profuse fretting over the time, as well as winning our sympathy, alongside Tristan Sevanot Davis (Year 11) as Mr Rabbit, as they wittily portrayed awkward teenage interactions between young lovers. From there we witnessed Alice’s unexpected journey through Wonderland, whilst being hit with a plethora of dance sequences, scenes of nonsensical dialogue and extraordinary performances by familiar characters. WONDERLAND Wonderland, this year’s Senior Production, lived up to its promise as a vivid, psychedelic and thrilling end-of-term treat. Here, Wilf Patten (Year 12), in the central role of the Cheshire Cat, reflects on the experience
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DRAMA & DANCE
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