Alice by Heart

‘A story entered, a tiny key we turned’ sings Alice Spencer, on the platform of a London Underground station, shrinking from the sounds of the Blitz above her. It’s an escape, a safe place – or maybe not, because this is Wonderland.

World War II London upturned everyone’s life, and about-to-be-grown-up Alice and her childhood friend Alfred are not in their familiar rose garden. His tuberculosis means Alfred’s quarantined – though Alice still urges him to escape with her, down a rabbit hole into her favourite book, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Even the destruction of her book by a strict nurse won’t stop Alice – knowing the entire story ‘by heart’ and will read it to Alfred anyway.

An abbreviated version of this musical was first commissioned as a piece of youth theatre by London’s Royal National Theatre in 2012, written by Tony-award winning Spring Awakening authors Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik. It was workshopped into a larger musical piece over the next few years before its official world premiere production off-Broadway in 2019.

This Adelaide premiere of the musical is presented by the immensely talented second year students from the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre degree course. As a more intimate story, it’s a wise decision to present in the smaller venue of the Little Theatre. Its amphitheatre design is great for shows like this: the mezzanine, stairs, and rear gallery are used to surround the audience with the seventeen performers. The stage itself isn’t that big, but the ensemble moves smoothly around this space as if it were twice the size, never feeling crowded in their choreography or tableaux. Sight lines are usually a challenge in this space, but director Erin James has her cast in the right places so that each performer has their chance to be seen and heard.

Erica Jones is Alice, and she draws the uncertainty well – trying to make grown-up decisions, growing up physically but being body-shamed for it, then being told to shrink by the adults – Jones excels at moments of realisation, and her vocals are excellent. Matt Hawke as Alfred is wonderful – becoming the White Rabbit with a costume change (brilliantly designed by the students, led by Joey Haenen), and some great physicality.

Indeed, the physical theatre in this production is terrific, with the cast floating and moving seemingly without effort, always backed up by others below to guide and hold them. The ensemble caterpillar is cleverly executed; the choreography of the props around the minimal set is tight; and the multi-purpose slatted bench is inspired.