If you have missed school-days theatre, and loathed the want of childhood whim on stage, head on over to the Methodist College auditorium this Friday!  The Middle School of Methodist College is bringing back to life an adaptation of all time favourite, Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”, a fantasy narrative that has lasting appeal to anyone regardless of the age bracket.

The cast and crew are working in full swing to make no compromise and recreate the magic of Wonderland for its audience. This particular adaptation of Carroll’s books ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking Glass’ is done by Eva Le Gallienne and Florida Friebus. The play is directed by old girl Kaushalya Attygalle.

The peculiarity of the creatures Alice meets in ‘Wonderland’ is something audiences have always found amusing, and this production strives to relive the thrill. Commenting on this Kaushi said, “The characters Alice meets in Wonderland have an interesting mix of both human and animal qualities. The costuming and character portrayals are predominantly human with a touch of the animal they're each meant to represent. We also tried to use the idea of a game of chess to some extent. The pawns, who are not in the original script, play the role of creating each scene for Alice as she makes her journey through this strange and fascinating land.” Though the play has been trimmed in terms of length to only a little over an hour, it preserves our favourite characters.

When the school thought it was high time the Middle School staged a production, it was only too apt that Alice in Wonderland be picked, it naturally being the most popular or imaginative alternative that presented itself. Thereafter, it has been months of hard work and enjoyment for the girls. Kaushi has always been a gifted drama personality from back in her school days.

When I asked her what it was like being back in school directing a bunch of middle-schoolers, she brightened up, “I have to admit, it was a little strange at first. It's been more than 5 years since I left school so to come back as an old girl to do a middle school production was a little daunting. However, I have enjoyed this experience far more than I expected. It's been great working with such a talented and energetic group of kids.”

An ideal concept for school kids, the play features a majority of speaking characters, so that more kids have their moment on stage. A content director said, “The play has around 40 roles altogether and the most challenging yet, interesting thing about it is that nearly all the characters have speaking roles. This means that all those in the cast must definitely act. They don't have the luxury of hiding behind a large ensemble. While this is challenging to some extent it also gives us the ability to showcase the school’s abundance of talent. Instead of just a handful of students taking on the lead roles, in this play, nearly the entire cast is given a major role.”

And there’s more reason as to why this rendition of Alice in Wonderland is the perfect school production for your theatre itinerary for the month. Nearly the entire production is handled by past or present students of Methodist College. The backstage crew consists of seniors currently in school and also a few who recently left school. The prop designs, handling of lights, sounds etc will also be done by Methodist College students. “It's great to know that the school has produced and is continuing to produce such a wonderful pool of talented individuals that we can find someone to do nearly every task required for the play,” Kaushi enthused.

You little want to miss out on this unique addition to your fond childhood memories of Alice in Wonderland. Whether you want to relive your own recollections, encourage talent and hard-work, or perhaps let the production give a fresh dimension to the Wonderland you are familiar with, drop by at the Methodist College auditorium on Friday 20th, at 6 p.m. Tickets are priced at 500/- and 300/- (downstairs), and 150/- (balcony) and are now available at the school office and can be purchased at entrance.   

By Nivedha Jeyaseelan

Pix by Indraratne Balasuriya