Theatregoers have until the end of the week to catch Creation Theatre Company's splendid production of Alice in Wonderland which has been delighting audiences in the open- air setting of Magdalen College School grounds since mid-July, writes Nick Evans.
In its stunning production, Creation Theatre has managed brilliantly to re-create the magic in a show that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike with an irreverent mix of slapstick humour and surreal wit.
Lewis Carrol's Alice adventures are Oxford through and through, and the setting next to the River Cherwell on a balmy summer afternoon is perfect for this dream-like show. Laurie Sansom's production shifts the action through a variety of scenes with the audience literally leaving their seats and following the cast.
What could have been annoying works really well and is an excellent way to convey the sense of Alice's journey.
This is a production not bounded by limitations of scene, time or space, but flitting from scene to scene in a "curiouser and curiouser" fashion, just like a dream.
The cast throughout is first-class. Alice, played with child-like wonder by Katie Foster-Barnes, is top-notch as is Michael Everest, as the White Knight.
Eilidh Macdonald as Tweedledum and Carolyn Murray as Tweedledee provide one of the highlights of the show, as do Michelle Bunyan as the White Queen with a superb mock operatic aria. Special mention must go to the Red Queen, played with wonderful acerbity by Katie Cox.
This is a truly magical production which captures the essence of dreams and awakens a sense of memory and feeling forever linked with childhood. This is not a show for children, but one where we become children.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article