| August 2006 - Wivenhoe Youth
Theatre's Production Alice in Wonderland Once more the members of Wivenhoe Youth Theatre
have succeeded in
wowing their audiences in three production nights by a first-class production of Lewis Caroll's two
books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. This
was a highly abridged version adapted by Clemence Dane.
Director Holli
Dillon did a fantastic job bringing it all together in just two weeks. The
cast, who included many first timers, really looked as though they enjoyed
what they were doing, performed their roles with vitality, panache,
clarity of diction and were word perfect too.
It is hard to believe that Martha
Jones who played the demanding role of Alice was only just 13 years old.
Like all the members of the large cast, she exuded a confidence and
manner which made her very convincing. It is probably not fair to pick out
one person from this cast of stars but I did think the White Rabbit was
really great. Well done Louie.
The whole show is all the more remarkable the fact
it is all created in just two weeks. Everyone must have worked
incredibly hard. So congratulations to you all and
especially of course to the Director, 18 year old Holli Dillon who
selected the play, created a fast flowing, dynamic performance that
prevented any possibility of dormouse-like behaviour in the audience. We
were kept on our toes! Very well done Holli. You succeeded in bring out
the very best in your team of actors, and there are a lot of you. See list
below. You also had a great support crew, plus many 'Unsung Heroes' as you
called them in your programme.
You should all be very proud of yourselves. Thank you for giving us
such an enjoyable evening, one that we will continue to look back on, and
enjoy the memory again and again, I'm sure.
Cllr Peter Hill
Click here
for two show reviews by Peter Kennedy and Cllr Penny Kraft
 From the
Director, Holli Dillon...
Before
I say anything else I want to say WELL DONE!!! - to everyone. I hadn’t
expected to be involved this year, but I’m so glad that I agreed to do
it. What a bunch of stars!!
It
has been rather weird coming back and directing a new lot, but I have to
say I’ve been very impressed with the standard.
When I was first
looking for a play I scoured the library and spent many evenings and
lunchtimes like an obsessive library hermit goblin of books. Then one day,
when I had a pile of books the size of my house, I chanced to come across
a lost copy of Lewis Carroll’s classic adapted for stage. Secretly, I
knew this had to be the play that WYT took on this year!
I
was aware from the beginning that this would be more of a challenge than
usual but following the great amount of enthusiasm, I was more than happy
to take it on.
I
researched religiously into the world of Lewis Carroll and found an
amazing array of facts such as Carroll is a pseudonym for an Oxford
Lecturer of Mathematics. His wonderful childish imagination charmed many
families for years until the fateful day when little Alice Liddel (a
scruffy, brown haired, seven year old) and her sisters went for a boat
ride with him.
After
further examination, I had a contemporary vision of how to stage this play
and I hope you enjoy it….
Holli
Dillon
|
Plot
Synopsis
Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland and
Through the Looking Glass are two classic works of children's
literature that for over a century have been read by children and
adults alike.
These two
stories tell the tale of a seven year old girl, Alice, and how she
journeys underground and encounters many different and unusual
characters. Lewis Carroll first published Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland in 1865, three years after he had first invented the
story to amuse young Alice Liddell and her sisters, following a
request for a story “full of nonsense”.
In these
two classic stories, Lewis Carroll conjures up the nonsensical
Wonderland and the back-to-front Looking-Glass kingdom, where order
is turned upside-down, and beautifully animates a seven year olds
imagination,
This
production focuses on the original quality of Carroll’s two
novels, discarding any Disney influences. The red and white courts
are a continuing theme and relate to contemporary characters of
Coaroll’s. The emphasis in this production is on the absurd
dreamlike aspects of a child’s imagination.
I
hope that you enjoy my version of these two truly wonderful stories
Holli
Dillon |
|
The
Cast
|
| Alice
|
Martha
Jones
|
| White
Rabbit
|
Louie
Dillon
|
| Mouse
|
Karen
Emms
|
|
Lory
|
Crissy
D’Andrea
|
|
Do Do
|
Robbie Taylor
Hunt
|
| Eagle
|
Megan
Smith
|
| Duck
|
David
O’Neil
|
| Caterpiller
|
Emily
Smith
|
| Duchess
|
Elspeth
Jones
|
| Cheshire
Cat
|
Alex
O’Neil
|
| March
Hare
|
Megan
Smith
|
| Mad
Hatter
|
Robbie
Taylor Hunt
|
| Dormouse
|
Kath
Jones / Holli Dillon
|
| 2
of Hearts
|
Jane
Edwards
|
| 3
of Hearts
|
Megan
Smith
|
|
|
Elspeth
Jones
|
| 4
of Hearts
|
Robbie
Taylor-Hunt
|
| 5
of Hearts
|
Karen
Emms
|
| 7
of Hearts
|
David
O’Neil
|
| Queen
of Hearts
|
Crissy
D’Andrea
|
| King
of Hearts
|
Alex
O’Neil
|
| Executioner
|
Kath
Jones / Holli Dillon
|
| Gryphon
|
Emily
Smith
|
| Mock
Turtle
|
Elspeth
Jones
|
| Knave
of Hearts
|
Jane
Edwards
|
| Red
Queen
|
Crissy
D’Andrea
|
| Tweedledum
|
Kath
Jones / Holli Dillon
|
| Tweedledee
|
David
O’Neil
|
| Red
King
|
Alex
O’Neil
|
| White
Queen
|
Emily
Smith
|
| Humpty
Dumpty
|
Karen
Emms
|
| White
King
|
David
O’Neil
|
| Lion
|
Alex
O’Neil
|
|
Unicorn
|
Elspeth Jones
|
|
|
Crew
|
|
Director:
|
Holli
Dillon
|
|
Lighting
:
|
Crissy
D’Andrea
|
|
Publicity:
|
Karen
Emms
|
|
|
David
O’Neil
|
|
|
Louie
Dillon
|
|
Set
Design:
|
Alex
O’Neil
|
|
Construction:
|
Jane
Edwards
|
|
|
Peter
O’Neil
|
|
Costumes:
|
Megan
Smith
|
|
|
Martha
Jones
|
|
Properties:
|
Emily
Smith
|
|
|
Elspeth
Jones
|
|
|
Robbie
Taylor Hunt
|
|
Back
Stage:
|
Isabel
Evans
|
|
Producer:
|
Kath
Jones
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Unsung Heroes
|
|
|
|
|
Sheila
Foster
|
Iain
Ward
|
|
John
Foster
|
Mel
Stuttle
|
|
John
Pendle
|
Jan
Le Fevre
|
|
Hilary
Lazell
|
Sarah
Smith
|
|
Laurence
Knox
|
Matt
Pendle
|
|
Richard
Evans
|
Sam
Belcher
|
|
Charlie
Clarke
|
Helen
Evans
|
|
Peter
Grant
|
Lyn
Pendle
|
|
Nadine
Dillon
|
Emma Dean
|
|
|
Special
Thanks to:
|
| |
|
The
Mercury Theatre
|
|
Miranda
Locker
|
| Sam
Belcher
|
| Melody
Gunter
|
|
Robert
Price
|
|
Peter
and Bonnie Hill
|
|
Jan
Ward
|
|
Wivenhoe
Town Council
|
|
Mick
Wells
|
|
Jim
Young
|
|
Andy
Hearn
|
|
Brightlingsea
Sports Centre
|
|
Essex
County Council
|
|
Ken
Noyce
|
|
Dan
Hammett
|
| |
| |
|
Programme
Advertisers:
|
|
Londis
|
|
High
Street Post Office
|
|
Black
Buoy
|
|
Allcock
and Stevens
|
|
Wivenhoe
Eyecare & Contact Lens Centre
|
| Costume
Call
|
| Oops
a Daisy - Floral Designs
|
|
Natural
Bodycare & Giftshop
|
|
The
Beauty Shop
|
|
Henley's
Fish & Chips
|
| |
|
|
| The Wivenhoe
Youth Theatre Calendar
Next year we
plan to repeat the customary summer production, which takes place in
just two weeks of the summer holiday, from blocking, rehearsing, and
performing, as well as lighting, costumes, and set design.
The dates of the performance are likely to be 23rd,
24th and 25th of August, so make a date in
your diary!
The
Youth Theatre also participates in the Brantham One Act festival in
November and we have been very successful in the past few years,
winning Best Youth Act two years running. The young people also
produce this project and rehearsals are scheduled in spare time.
If
you are interested in joining this dynamic group or know
someone who might be, and are aged between 12 and 21, then
you can contact the Wivenhoe Youth Theatre on 01206 826432, and ask
for Hilary Lazell. |
|
Click
here for the Youth Theatre's home page |
|
