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The Wivenhoe Encyclopedia |
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Wivenhoe
Youth Theatre's Alice – two reviews First
published in Wivenhoe News Winter Edition 2006 'Tis brillig, and the slithy coves do weave and womble to their seats. The words PRESS SEAT are written in capital letters on mine, so I press it. No one gets taller, no one gets smaller. Curiouser and curiouser. I'm surrounded by acres of children – an audience almost trembling with anticipation. The hall is arranged with two low stages, one at either end – the members of the WYT, including their "unsung heroes" have themselves assembled the sets and the lighting. Seven year old Mia says to five year old Dominic "I think that stage is the White Queen's and that one is the Red Queen's". Darkness, then Director Holli Dillon is reading "Child of pure unclouded brow", and when the lights come up we see the whole cast of characters in frozen pose, then all is movement and we are transported into the dream world of Alice. Martha Jones as Alice is beautiful and is properly bemused by the strange creatures she meets, including a wonderfully cool Caterpillar, a camp Cheshire Cat with a winning smile, a learned White Rabbit, the maddest of Mad Hatters, a charmingly diminutive Humpty Dumpty, an imperious Red Queen, a confused White Queen, a mean-looking Executioner, and of course many more. All the players are word perfect, which is as it should be, and almost everyone enunciates clearly, although in a couple of instances voice projection could be improved. This is a children's classic, a Youth Theatre production, and a grown-up performance. It is excellent. On the way home I ask Mia and Dominic "What did you like about it?" and they both shout "EVERYTHING!" Peter
Kennedy In late August of the Mayoral year I had the pleasure
to attend Wivenhoe Youth Theatre's performance of Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland and
Through the Looking Glass under the directorship of Holli Dillon; the
first time she has directed for the WYT.
The young people work so hard, it was such a fun but polished
performance, all the cast was good and it seems unfair to single any
person out; but I must admit I had my favourite performers.
I loved the Mad Hatter and the Rabbit and of course Alice -- how
did she remember all those lines without drying up once?
And the Queens also were great.
I could really list them all I enjoyed it so much.
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