Charles Lutwidge Dodgson made up fantastical stories on a boat trip to entertain his fellow passenger’s three daughters. Dodgson wrote under the name of Lewis Carroll. The story of Alice In Wonderland has since become right-of-passage reading.
The audience enters what looks to be a drawing room or library, cramped and littered with old furniture and floor pillows. They are greeted by Bruno and Sylvie, children of Dodgson’s imagination and his alter ego, the Professor.
The reality is that Dodgson is visiting his young friend and doctor, Arthur, and the childhood companion, Muriel. Dodgson is dying and needs Muriel and Arthur to give themselves to their imagination. It all comes together, these three move seamlessly and effortlessly from reality to the fantasy. They are in the middle of their audience, use the audience and are incredibly comfortable in this environment.
Directed flawlessly by Joe Hufton and written by Dominic Allen who plays both Professors with a mecurial Jethero Compton playing Bruno and Arthur and a porcelain-fragile Serena Manteghi playing Sylvie and Muriel, this is a must see production. Just be careful you are not hiding one of the props. What fun!