Into the Underworld of Wonderland

Thursday 17 February 2005

Conservatorium Drama presents an original play adaption of Lewis Carroll's' Alice in Wonderland."

The play has been written by Jessica Triggs and is directed by Meghann Smith, both third year drama students at the University of Newcastle. The cast comes from both the University of Newcastle and from local theatre companies.

The play sets out to challenge the conventions of storytelling, bringing Carroll's original tale into the dark and unwelcoming light of the real world and dragging a little of Wonderlands' mysteries along for the ride.

The audience is pulled into the play as anti-heroine Alice hunts down the White Rabbit through a labyrinth of whorehouses, drug dens and dark places. As she follows his trail, she discovers the true meaning of Wonderland and begins to question the very fabric of her existence and that of those around her.

This Alice is no children's tale. Multiple drug references and the repetition of adult themes turn Carroll's quirky and comical characters into sinister parodies of the more loathsome half of society.

All of Carroll's regulars are there:
The Hatter (Mark Coles) and the Hare (Isaac Turier)
The Caterpillar and the Dodo (Richard Cox)
The Duchess (Michelle Gordon) and the Cook (Page Haskew)
The King and Queen of Hearts (Tina Middelby and Alex Chard)
And leading the way the White Rabbit (Patric Burns) the Cheshire Cat (Darko Jovanovic) and leading lady Alice (CONDA winner Kate Lofting).

The production opens on 22 February 2005 and runs for 2 weeks with Tuesday to Saturday shows from 7pm at the University Drama theatre Callaghan campus.

For interviews and information contact Foveaux Kirby on 02 4921 8665.