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ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND Directed
by Emily Jane Quash |
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“When
I was your age, I always believed in impossible things. Why,
sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before
breakfast.”
Believe the impossible with Playbox Theatre’s journey through Wonderland this Christmas. Tumble down the rabbit hole, take tea with the Mad Hatter and lose yourself in the most extraordinary story ever told. 18th Dec - 4th January Tickets: £11.50, £7.50 Concessions |
Watch this space for for all the
latest news
and behind-the-scenes information.
A Christmas Blockbuster
Hannah Elsy, AKA 'The King of Hearts' gives us the low down on rehearsals...
In the summer heat of Carousel, we are speeding through the blocking of the Christmas show 'Alice in Wonderland'- to be performed in the freezing cold! 'Alice' is going to prove a Christmas blockbuster treat for the whole family, but the production does not lack depth or thought (something for the more critical theatre-goers too!)
Although we have only had four rehearsals, the cast have worked extremely hard to produce something that is already a well-rounded show! I have so far enjoyed every second of rehearsals - most of it spent laughing! My favourite scene is the crazy Caucus Race, which is incredibly tiring but looks so wonderfully extreme! For more relaxing measures, try a dose of the Cheshire Cat's slightly creepy smooth voice!
I love the way that the field of character development is completely open in rehearsal room, and the way characters are portrayed can dramatically vary from one day to the next! We have so far been free to experiment with character methods, movement and voices!
I hope to return to rehearsals in November with the show as fresh as it was in August!
Playbox go underground this winter
Playbox readily acknowledge that Christmas and New Year is a crucial time for introducing young people and new audiences to theatre. This year the company return to a much loved book that we first staged in 1992. That production, with its real turf and insects, was seen at Warwick Arts Centre and later guested at the RSC’s Swan Theatre as part of the winter season. For 2008 director Emily Jane Quash, who was in the previous production, takes a completely different approach. Following last year’s ice skating Snow Queen, the Playbox imagineers are already planning a special and memorable winter journey for audiences.
Alice is played by 12-year-old Abbie Wyatt-Smith in her first major role for the company. She talks to us about looking forward to a Christmas in Wonderland...
How do you feel about being cast in the title role of ‘Alice’?
I’m really, really excited…this is my first major role for Playbox and I can’t wait for the challenge. My first part with Playbox was as a member of the ‘Spaghetti’ ensemble in
Puss In Boots 3 years ago, and I feel that I’ve been climbing the ladder ever since, getting slightly larger parts each time. Playing ‘Alice’ is such a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get
started!
Have you ever read the book of
‘Alice In Wonderland’?
When I found out that I’d been cast, I went to a car boot sale and bought a copy for research! The first half is
Wonderland and the second half is Alice Through The Looking
Glass. I’m really enjoying it, but find the language very odd…Good but
odd!
Tell us about some of the other projects you’ve done with
Playbox…
Do you have any favourite memories?
I was about 10 yrs old when I joined. My friend, Sarah Case, was already a member and recommended it to me. I loved it straight away and didn’t waste any time getting stuck into auditions. I love my weekly session with Toby – it’s always fun and no two weeks are ever the
same.
My favourite ‘performance’ moment was during the opening scene of One Day In The Future when I had to come and reach out towards the audience, whispering…I caught my little brother’s eye and he started pulling funny faces at me – I managed to stay focussed, though!
You’ve just performed in our first major dance production SE7EN – what was that
like?
I love dancing and have been doing it for a very, very long time. I used to learn ballroom dance, and now do ballet, tap, disco…I’m looking for a hip-hop class and am going to be joining Playbox’s ‘Dance Box’ in the autumn. Because I love dance so much, I was really excited when auditions for
SE7EN were announced and I knew straight away that I wanted to give it a
go.
My favourite number in the show had to be ‘Gluttony’ – I enjoyed the chance to behave in a really grotesque, disgusting way and hearing the audience’s response to the humour. It was so much fun!
Have you thought about what sort of ‘Alice’ you’d like to
be?
I think Alice is an ordinary girl, who finds herself in an extraordinary situation, and that’s something I find really interesting. I want the children in the audience to be able to relate to the character, and see some of themselves in her. I don’t think she’s nervous of facing any situation, but always curious…I want to bring that side of her out!
Christmas at The Dream Factory is always special – are you looking forward to spending your 3rd Christmas in the
theatre?
Definitely! Christmas shows are so much fun to be in because of the atmosphere…The front of house is always decorated beautifully and families that come to see the shows are here for a treat, so everyone’s already in a good mood. The Christmas production at Playbox is usually a popular or well-known story which people already love, so it’s nice to be a part of that. My family don’t mind being at The Dream Factory over Christmas, because it’s like a treat for them too. They’re very, very supportive and I know they’ll be proud of me when I play ‘Alice’. My dad always tests me on my lines and he seems to enjoy doing this – he does all of the
voices!
Do you feel a big sense of responsibility, playing such a big
part?
I do, and I am nervous, but I’m 100% committed to the production and I’ll do everything I can to get it right. I’ll start learning my lines straight away and try my very best.
Looking ahead…what would you like to see yourself doing with Playbox in the
future?
I think that the future just comes and you should take whatever it throws at you! Just because I’ll have played a lead part doesn’t mean that I’ll stop wanting to climb the ladder – there’s always another step to go! I’ll keep looking for new challenges and will be determined to give anything a
go!
Musings of the Cheshire Cat
It seems odd in midsummer to be in a studio watching an early run through of Alice which will not see the stage until mid-December. Yet here we are at the end of a week's creative process looking at one of the most exciting and crazy shows yet to emerge from the Playbox HQ!
Of course, I am not giving anything away, you will have to wait until December to journey into Wonderland but I can reveal that the company have a dynamic style and really pull you into the strange and surreal world of Lewis Carrol.
The Mad Hatter's tea party is a sequence like you've never seen before and... No! I'm not giving anything away!
I enjoyed my time with the Alice company and I hope to learn more soon. I'll keep in you in the picture...
Down the rabbit hole...
Send us your suggestions as to how Alice may fall down the rabbit hole in our all-new production!
