Review: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Lewis Carroll's classic story about a girl's journey through a surreal land populated by a myriad of bizarre characters would seem to be an ideal vehicle in which to showcase the talents of energetic youngsters; and they don't come much more talented or energetic than the Performing Arts students of Gorseinon college, a place rightly renowned for producing some of the region's finest theatrical practitioners.

A very large and enthusiastic cast, comprising no less than 22 players, played their roles with utter conviction and the pace of the piece was slick, with some inventive touches in terms of physicality, visual style and overall design – playing cards, for example, were utilized as doors, seats, tables and even as the dome of a giant mushroom.

While directors Bob Barton, Derek Cobley and Matt Thomas deserve every credit for their visionary approach to what was undoubtedly an entertaining and intriguing take upon a classic work, I confess to a niggling doubt about one aspect of the piece in particular. The advance publicity had focused on an extract from Carroll's book in which the Cheshire Cat had said to Alice, " We're all mad here" – a theme which figured heavily in the finished product, with each and every character being interpreted as manic, declamatory and stark raving bonkers, this undermining the subtle darkness of the original.

The story was trimmed here and there to drive the narrative forward, necessitating some minor changes ( the Gryphon, for example, hd taken Alice to visit the Mock Turtle in the original text, but was replaced her by the Mad Hatter), but for all that this was an imaginative and ultimately faithful rendering of a story which has delighted children and adults for generations.

Graham Williams

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was performed at the Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University