Alice in Wonderland
Geoff Aymer (inspired by Lewis Carroll)
Directed by Suzann McLean
Theatre Peckham
Star rating: 4
Reimagined and re-sited in Peckham, Geoff Aymer’s take on Alice is fresh, original, topical and funny. Actually, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has never been my favourite book but this show really presses the buttons. And I particularly like the idea of a talented, well directed young company ensemble supported by, or in support of, four strong professional adults.
Alice (Carma Hylton) is a brash, Peckham thirteen year old, wedded to her phone and the despair of her geeky older brother Stefan (Oscar Sinclair). “You’re so confident in your own ignorance” is one of the script’s best lines. Then he confiscates her phone and she finds herself somewhere else and feels like a foreigner – cue for a lot of subtle but perceptive thoughts about immigration, belonging, inclusivity and rejection but there’s nothing off-puttingly “worthy” about this script.
And once Alice is in Wonderland we get a lot of familiar (sort of) episodes and some highly adept doubling. Felicity Ison gives us a “sarf London” Snowy B (the White Rabbit character) racing about in a panic, the haughtiest imaginable duchess, and an eccentric Van-Goo painting roses. Her voice work delights and she commands the stage for every moment she’s on it. Siphiwo Mahlentle’s Chesh (aka the Cheshire Cat) is laid back, camp and funny and his turn as authoritarian Ignatius is fun. And Oscar Sinclair is fabulous as the louchest possible, pendantic caterpillar – whose name, gloriously, is GSCE – and a scarlet-clad, ruthless but vulnerable, Queen of Hearts. Chess as a substitute for croquet works a treat.
The young company is outstanding too. On press night I saw Team Cerasee which alternates with Team Oolong. Alexander Joseph is a fabulous Hatter who won’t allow the usual adjective but wants to be referred to as “mentally unshackled”. His “tea jams” are fun and I was still laughing when I left the theatre. At first we think he’s selling dope and he’s afraid Alice is a spy. Once he’s “cleared” her he opens his jacket to reveal his wares and it’s lined with … a range of teabags. Alexander times all this to perfection.
Flo Swann is so strong – terrific singing voice –in several roles that for a while I thought she was a fifth pro. And Theo Esson is an ensemble delight – her dancing is as vibrant as any I’ve seen anywhere and her somersaults get a spontaneous round of applause.
Seeing this engaging show was, however, a bit like watching an excellent school production at which I was very much an outsider – in terms of age, ethnicity, background and more. The very excited, exuberant audience whooped and clapped every time someone they knew appeared on stage which, with a cast of 19, got distractingly tedious. It’s odd that Theatre Peckham which works so hard, and so successfully, at community integration can sometimes feel just a tiny bit exclusive.
