Pear-Shaped

A thoughtful mash-up of Alice in Wonderland, family demands, religious commitments, and the difficulties of artistic expression is used to explore the pain and loss inflicted on a family by mental illness.

Alice in Wonderland has been a beloved shared book in sisters, Frankie (Ziggy Resnick) and Kayla’s (Luisa Scrofani) life and it is the touchstone Frankie turns to for inspiration for her final design assignment and some comfort as she tries to come to terms with Kayla’s growing mental distress. The play includes excursions into childhood memories, visits to the Wonderland world, incessant phone calls and the frantic present all of which are strongly realised by Ziggy Resnick.

Frankie and Kayla are surrounded by a mother, grandmother, and a televised collaborator who are believably bought to life by Luisa Scrofani. The cast is joined by a number of puppets managed by Cameron Steen and the caterpillar which is beautifully made out of blue surgical gloves.

Audio-visual effects create the surreal aspects of the production, and the simple staging and props are creatively and thoroughly used. A series of opening frames in the wall creates extra spaces which enliven the staging. Both actors had microphones which were somewhat fuzzy so some of the dialogue, notably that of the character on the television, was hard to understand.

The descent into the rabbit hole and the question of return is a powerful metaphor and the story of “Wonderland” poignantly adds richness and nuance to this well realised and directed exploration of the impact of mental illness on a family.

Ruth Richter

Photographer: Angel Leggas