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| Cast | |
| Alice | Daisy Wood-Davis |
| Lewis Carroll | Mike Higginson |
| The Players | Amanda Whittle, David Hampton, Gill Grubb, Paul Lay, Christine McKeon |
| Crew | |
| Stage Manager | Helen Bezer |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Angela Juett |
| Set Design | Carol La Roche, Paul Lay |
| Set Construction & Decorating | Paul Lay, Steve Grubb, Colin Rayment |
| Properties & Costumes | Carol La Roche, Victoria Findlay, Janet Findlay |
| Lighting Design | John Buckle, Sean Buckle |
| Lighting Operation | Matthew Arnold |
| Sound | Jerry McKeon, James McLeod |
| Dangling Technician | Jerry McKeon |
| Artwork | Amanda Whittle |
| Therapist to Ms La Roche | Nicole Antras |
Dedicated to Janet, Freda, Brenda and absent friends. We love you and still miss you. "Life, what is it but a dream."
Review
Charming night with Alice band
In spite of her adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll's Alice has very few chances to appear on stage. That's put right this week thanks to Carol La Roche and her team at the Edward Alderton Theatre in Bexleyheath. Not only is Carol directing The Adventures of Alice, the work is her own clever and often very entertaining adaptation of the delightful children's stories and verse.
On an uncluttered stage that mirrors the colours of a rainbow, a host of Carroll's characters are brought to life by Amanda Whittle, David Hampton, Gill Grubb, Paul Lay and Christine McKeon, including such favourites as the Cheshire Cat, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts.
Initially, it is difficult to get to grips with a production that seems almost too childish, with grown-ups prancing around with minimal costume effects to represent their characters. However, Mike Higginson, giving a beautifully relaxed and highly convincing portrayal of Carroll, begins to weave a powerful theatrical magic that brings credibility to incredible creations. And, after tackling very demanding roles in such plays as The Turn of the Screw and Six Characters in Search of an Author, 10-year-old Daisy Wood-Davis gives an outstanding performance as Alice.
It is a pleasure to hear such nonsense poems as The Walrus and the Carpenter again. Carol La Roche has managed to interweave reality and fantasy to great effect. However, it is the kind of show that needs some inventive (and expensive) technical wizardry and good costumes to give it the kind of impact that would appeal to a broad spectrum of children and adults. At the moment, unfortunately, it hovers somewhere between the two.
Roy Atterbury
Kentish Times | 7 December 2000
