Alice, Little Angel Theatre

Lewis Carroll’s fantastical tales of adventure and bewilderment have long been a powerful source of inspiration for storytellers the world over, and the wide-eyed obstinacy of his heroine, Alice, will always have its place in the English imagination. Using original puppetry and a script based entirely on Carroll’s own words, Metta Theatre has reinvented Alice and her adventures in this daring and poignant exploration of war, family and loss.

Despite their colour and playfulness, Carroll’s stories are not without their moments of darkness, and this production delves deep into those shadows through its skillful contrast of fantasy and realism. Alice Liddell, the real-life basis for the character, is pictured as a middle aged woman sheltering in a cellar in 1915 under the threat of falling bombs. Meanwhile her son, Alan, fights his way through a trench where Yvonne Stone’s stunning puppetry of every-day objects weaves its magic, tying Alan’s experiences to those of his mother’s fictional counterpart.

The underlying tragedy of the production’s themes makes it unsuitable for younger children, but it offers an offbeat and engaging way for teens and young adults to reconsider this popular story and gain a deeper understanding about war. The sensitivity with which director Poppy Burton-Morgan exposes the fear, confusion and essential humanity of war provide a captivating introduction to the subject. 

Through his own Alice, Lewis Carroll explores the link between fear and imagination. Metta Theatre’s Alice lends that connection new power and meaning in an interpretation which is both moving and magical.