Join Alice and her merry band of mad companions in her turbulent trek through that childhood dreamscape of Wonderland. Glasgow PM, a youth theatre presenting Alice In Wonderland at the PQA Venues at Riddle’s Court, keeps this classic tale at its traditional roots—with the addition of a few just-plain-fun dance numbers.
The set is nearly bare, the costumes are sparse but resourceful, yet everything is so imaginatively described by each character—who are all far more interesting and quirky than any physical representation could ever convey—that it truly doesn’t matter. In fact, this minimalistic production plan actually allows patrons to even further delve into the strange world of Alice in Wonderland by encouraging the audience to use their own imaginations to paint vivid forests and a room full of an ocean of tears.
As for the show’s talent, it is undeniably on the rise. The wonderful thing about youth theatre, especially the vibrant energy of a cast such as Glasgow PM’s, is that every single actor’s potential is tangible. In Alice In Wonderland, this potential jumps off the stage, fulfilled to its maximum capacity. From the Mad Hatter’s exuberant nature (and fantastic makeup!), to Alice’s endearing, dry wit, each character we know and love becomes even more authentically themselves.
Additionally, every supporting character is just as dedicated to telling this quirky story and visibly love their individual characters. In fact, a hilarious highlight of the show is the farcical feud between the straightlaced narrators and the wildly playful characters they try so hard to keep in line. This relationship enhances the show’s internal playfulness just as Lewis Carroll would have wanted I’m sure.
Technically, there are no microphones which make dialogue quite tricky to comprehend from the back seats. However, it is clear that these young actors are learning voice projection and elocution, along with the other basics of theatre. In fact, each actor makes a fine effort of narrating Alice’s story from her fall down the rabbit hole, to meeting Mad Hatter, to finally narrowly escaping the deadly Queen of Hearts.
So, if you’re looking to support young actors at the Fringe this year—and see the transformative, learning effect theatre can have on both the actors and the audience, please move Glasgow PM’s Alice In Wonderland to the very top of your list.
