Down the Rabbit Hole - Alice in Wonderland
The clocks were wrong, the tea never stopped, and the Queen had lost her temper. Wonderland had arrived at Elliot Hall. In this year’s Middle School musical, Alice in Wonderland JR, the stage erupted into a world where logic was turned on its head. Nothing was quite as it seemed – except the magic of the story itself.
Led by Ruby Mapson as Alice – supported by Indie Johnson (Tall Alice) and Lauren Fletcher (Small Alice) – the production cleverly played with the idea of Alice’s changing identity as she navigates the trials and marvels of Wonderland. From the high-energy of Oliver Bennett’s Mad Hatter to Ruby-Jane Roach’s scene-stealing Queen of Hearts, the leads infused the show with energy and humour. Henry Cannon charmed as the perpetually flustered White Rabbit, while a trio of Cheshire Cats (Elsa Taylor, Pippa Ensor, and Phoebe Wakelin) added mystery and mischief.
Director Ashton Brown guided the cast with a creative hand, encouraging students to embrace the absurd:
“Alice in Wonderland is a timeless tale... It encourages the viewer to immerse themselves in the magical nonsense of creativity and imagination, and to leave logic and reason at the door – which is exactly how I operate as a creative.”
With strong performances from the leads, supported by whimsical set design and imaginative costuming, the production brought Wonderland vividly to life. Talking doorknobs, tea parties, and roses painted red captured the joy and surreal charm Alice’s journey through Wonderland is loved for.
And as Alice declared her sense of self in the final scene, it was hard not to draw a parallel – there’s something powerful about watching a story come to life on stage, told by students who are likewise just beginning to discover their own.
