Alice in Wonderland @ the Theatre Royal
An all-inclusive, fun-loving, crowd-pleasing danceathon
Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is a rare thing – a 150 year-old novel that still maintains its hold on the public imagination. From films to theme parks, comic books to fan fiction, we’ve been reinterpreting Carrol’s brain-bender since 1865. Thankfully, Wonderland has been accommodating. Many Alice adaptations have gone down a magical, currant-garnished treat. Many adaptations. Tim Burton struggled to preserve Carroll’s minimalist narrative, whereas most fanfic fails to match Alice’s spirited wordplay. How then, did Norfolk’s own Michala Jane School of Dance fare?
The amateur dance company, which vastly ranges in age and ability, has previously tackled classics such as Robin Hood and Dick Whittington. To coincide with the 70th anniversary of VJ day and Alice’s 150th birthday, the troupe deviated slightly and gave Alice a wartime twist. An ever-inventive team, the dance school dug their rabbit hole on post-World War II British soil.
The 100+ cast challenged Alice’s elasticity, and despite moments of strain, they kept bouncing back to the tale’s beloved magic and mayhem. They split Alice into a series of clear-cut scenes - some familiar, some new. For instance, the famed tea party scene was played brilliantly. Alice (Katie Downes), the March Hare (Christina Allcock), the Mad Hatter (Andrew Brooks) and the Doormouse (Gemma Spall) blended eccentric acting with faithful scriptwriting. Among other unconventional scenes, Stalin and Churchill divided Europe. Yup – I saw the 1944 Percentages Agreement through interpretive dance. Conventional Carroll vs. Revisionist History was captivating, although at some points I felt slightly lost. And not in an exciting, rabbit-hole sort of way. Stop-start dance scenes made for a disjointed narrative too, but when you’re watching butterflies belting out Donna Summer and cute toddlers boogieing to Bye Bye Baby, it’s hard to get het up about technicalities.
Some technicalities were worth noting though. Dancers like Katie Downes, Emma Betts and Slava Halibey showed versatility and precision, and other cast/ensemble members danced to impressive standards too. Costume and colour was also consistently outstanding - a brilliant homage to Carroll’s influential imagery.
Overall, Michala Jane Dance School’s Alice in Wonderland was largely enjoyable. Lewis Carroll would be turning in his grave, but only to get down with the all-inclusive, fun-loving, crowd-pleasing danceathon.
6/10
