Alice's Adventures Under Ground

The set, the work of Jake Sanger, is enticing. The Victorian parlour, however, is not all that it seems, much like the conflicted man, Lewis Carroll. Projections and back lighting augment scenes in which Chris Hamley, as Carroll, narrates his tales. These are played out by an ensemble of three highly capable and versatile actors with great energy and humour.

These playfully mad episodes are juxtaposed against darker scenes in which Carroll appears to confront other demons.

Madeleine Jeffrey-Moore, as Alice, is always convincing as the young girl who is both diverted and, it appears, manipulated by Carroll. Alice is confused and frequently victimised by her magical encounters. Consequently, Carroll, skilfully depicted by Hamley, is portrayed as complex and conflicted genius, sometimes deserving of sympathy but often despicable. The experience for the audience is akin to Alice’s own journey: unrelenting, discomfiting, diverting and emotionally taxing.  Kate Choraziak, Aleksandra Crossan and Ivano Del Pio are such a mesmerising ensemble that the projections denoting the hyper-real environments become superfluous.

Andrew Casey is to be commended on realising his vision for this demanding piece.

Anne Blythe-Cooper

Image: Chris Hamley, Aleksandra Crossan, Ivano Del Pio (back), Madeleine Jeffrey-Moore and Kate Choraziak. Photographer: Kath Chapman, Hamley Productions