ALICE (in wonderland) | His Majesty’s Theatre| til Dec 15 | ★ ★ ★ ★
Fans of Lewis Carroll’s iconically bizarre Wonderland series have falling down the rabbit hole many times over the years, but WA Ballet’s latest production tells the story of Alice in an extraordinary new light.
Choreographed by Septime Webre, the artistic director of the Hong Kong Ballet, ALICE (in wonderland) revisits Lewis Carroll’s tales of Alice’s adventure through a wonderland that has been at the heart of popular culture since Disney brought it to the silver screen in 1952.
Dance is not the first discipline that comes to mind when imagining Alice’s journey, but the whimsical wonder of this world is elevated by the incredible skill of the WA Ballet’s talented dancers as audiences follow the white rabbit.
The production opens on a vast, white stage – where Alice (Chihiro Nomura) and her family spend a frenzied day together, throwing the titular character into the realms of Wonderland as she drifts into a deep sleep.
The audience is thrust into Wonderland, as the stage complete transforms with titanic set pieces and familiar characters emerge. James Krozner’s set design plays on the iconic tropes of Carroll’s work, decorating the stage with gigantic trees, colourful doors and psychedelic scenery, while Liz Vandal’s costumes perfectly translate the characters we know and love for the ballet stage.
As the White Rabbit (Julio Blanes) leads Alice through her series of unbelievable events, each touchstone of Alice’s journey is retold through the dancer’s bodies. Alice’s encounters with the Mad Hatter (Juan Carlos Osma), the Dodo (Oscar Valdes), the Caterpillar (Alexa Tuzil) and of course, the Queen of Hearts (Glenda Garcia Gomez) all offer an exciting new spin on what would be nostaglic moments for most in the audience.
This production revels in the madness of Carroll’s work, and is at its absolute best when it embraces the insanity. Seeing how the WA Ballet brings Alice’s giant growth to the stage is an absolute delight, and a mind-bending moment with dancing doors is a sight to behold. Each scene in Alice (in wonderland) brings its own moment of grandeur that made of one of the most compelling ballet performances this year.
It was easy to see that the West Australian Ballet and their dancers, first and foremost, had fun with this production. The joyous celebration of Carroll’s work brings some comedy that is rarely seen in a ballet, and the adorable addition of young dancers as the baby flamingos, piggies and hedgehogs elicited involuntary ‘awws’ from the stalls each time they took to the stage. It would also be very remiss of me not to mention the delightfully high-camp performance by Glenda Garcia Gomez as the Queen of Hearts.
WA Ballet’s ALICE (in wonderland) is a visual feast, fit for ballet stalwarts and newcomers alike. There is no pretense in this production, just a beautiful reimagining of a timeless tale that is sure to excite fans of Alice’s adventures. Remember what the dormouse said, and feed your head before ALICE wakes from her slumber.
ALICE (in wonderland) is playing at His Majesty’s Theatre until Sunday 15th December. Tickets and more information available from waballet.com.au
Leigh Andrew Hill
Image:- Sergey Pevnev
