Review: LUUMT’s Alice by Heart
Image Credit: Julian Tong
You’ve heard this story before. Alice goes down the rabbit hole. She meets a few kooks in Wonderland. She almost gets beheaded. Alice in Wonderland is nothing short of a classic; but Alice by Heart, originally written by Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson, completely rebirths the tale, tugging at our heartstrings and leaving us in tears. Jingle Bell Ball, we were not ready.
Directed by Charlotte Hunter (2023’s Bonnie and Clyde) alongside assistant director Millie Falconer, the Pyramid Theatre was transformed into the war-torn world of Alice and her companions, dressed and choreographed by Lily Payton and Lucy Butterworth.
An open book loomed over the in-the-round layout of the Pyramid, as we peered through the looking glass of this intimate fairytale. Stories about grief hold unique gravity because of its universality. Everybody grieves, and everybody will be grieved. We’re immersed in the story, but powerless to stop it. It’s a tale as old as time, and a song as old as rhyme.
Amelia Perry is an unstoppable force, putting a world’s worth of weight into presenting the immovable object that is Alice’s grief. She comforts her terminally ill friend Alfred, portrayed by Aaron Collis, by escaping into the story of Wonderland, where their worlds aren’t falling apart. As she searches and circles for her withering friend, Collis transfigures into role of the White Rabbit, and we navigate the dreamscape that is the Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
One of the most captivating aspects of the show was the sheer range of personalities seen within the characters; everybody plays their part in navigating Alice’s grief, whether dismissive or sympathetic. The concept of duality hangs over the story like a cloud in a clear sky as she fights on the frontlines of her war against the passage of time, with every actor but Perry playing multiple roles. Bethan Green brought an unmistakeable gravitas to her ice-cold performance of the bunker’s nurse, but what’s even more impressive is how effortlessly she commanded the room as the bewitching Queen of Hearts.
The caterpillars, played by Edie Gray and Erwan Foyalle, functioned as two halves of the same brain, synchronising to an impossible degree as they seductively circled Alice; the sheer allure they portrayed was enough to make the entire audience blush. A musical would be nothing without its ensemble, and this particular cast’s everchanging dynamics kept us on the edge of our seats. Whether it be the sheer flamboyance of the Duchess, the maddening company of the Mad Hatter, or the elusive earnestness of the Cheshire Cat, characters that have been played a million and one times before were given everything they deserved and more.
At its core, this story is about the pursuit of innocence, and the endless cycles we go through to stay the same and avoid the inevitable marching of time. The helpless flailing of a girl who was forced to grow up echoed within the walls of the Pyramid, and echoes within our minds to this day. Alice’s descent into the rabbit hole of acceptance was heartbreaking to watch, as Perry pleaded to stay on the same page for just another second. But alas, whether in Wonderland or the real world, the only real constants are time and change.
Charlotte Hunter’s production of Alice by Heart was risky. The show carried endless dimensions, swathes of emotional gravity, and the weight of a story that’s been engraved into the public consciousness since 1864. But still, she managed to breathe new life into it, captivating hearts, minds and eyes for its entire 90-minute run. It’s nothing short of wonderful until the very end.
Written by Lucas Assagba and Eszter Vida