Welcome to the mischievous, mysterious, absurd, but surprisingly refreshing world of Alice in Wonderland as presented by Boyd Productions in association with Rapid Fire International.
Social norms are warped, normal order is stripped away and logic is flipped on its head, but ironically there is still the unsuspecting, but subtle discovery of wisdom to be found and absorbed. Mushrooms and mystic animals entangle the stage and from the moment the light dims, the ensuing mist is indication that you have been thrust you into the hallucination. The lavish costumes will continue to keep you spellbound, so much so that small children could be forgiven for thinking that characters were actually real.
The cast were thoroughly engaging, particularly impressive though was their thoughtful attention to detail. Mannerisms, even slight twitches were clearly relentlessly practised. These small, but incredibly purposeful actions were some of the most memorable and rewarding as a viewer.
The character of Alice tended to be a bit too one dimensional at times, which resulted in a slight disconnect between her and the audience. Alice might be naive, but she is not as vacuous as she was sometimes portrayed. This was especially concerning as she is the only character that has relatable human-like traits in the realism defying chaos that is the Wonderland.
Once you’ve been dragged through the rabbit hole and spat back out on the surface, you’ll be better for it and happy you did. You might even continue to wonder about the Wonderland well after you’ve left it.
10th July - 14th July
Brisbane Powerhouse
Review: Alex Jumisic