Alice: An Adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (Oberon Modern Plays)

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West, like Wade, has earned a radical reputation due to his outspoken comments about politics and arts funding. Their new daughter joins what some would call an acting dynasty as the grandchild of Prunella Scales and Timothy West. Samuel, however, says the Wests are a family business and not a dynasty. Whatever the West legacy, there is a tradition of political activism. Three years ago, at 76, Grandfather West demonstrated against tax avoidance, urged on by Scales.

The life of a playwright is, she concedes, an odd one: the "massively introverted" months of working alone, followed by the "massively extrovert thing" of having a play on. And right now, it is even weirder than usual. Her boyfriend, Sam West, is starring in the West End hit, Enron, a show she has seen seven times. Sundays have become "very precious". West is a noted birdwatcher. Has he given that up by way of a concession? No. "I think I thought it was a bit dorky at the beginning," she says. "But actually, it's thrilling. I love it. It's about evolving a different way of looking and hearing. We go all over and it's nice having something that we do that isn't about the theatre, though it isn't necessarily very calming when you're driving five hours to see a bird that may, or may not, have flown away by the time you get there." Our production involves a mixed age cast, including a number of roles being undertaken by members of our drama classes. A family production par excellence! Theatre review: Breathing Corpses at Royal Court Theatre Upstairs". Britishtheatreguide.info . Retrieved 26 November 2016. Theatre review: Other Hands at Soho Theatre". Britishtheatreguide.info . Retrieved 26 November 2016. The play is not suitable for 5 year olds, but would be of considerable interest to thoughtful 12 year olds, particularly if they've read the book.

Editorial content

Carroll’s story has always been understood as more than just an imaginative and amusing children’s story, but this rendering takes its serious side to a new level, interpreting Alice’s journey as a psychotherapeutic escape from a very real tragedy. Its a clever way to understand Carroll’s exploration of the human psyche, combining the dark with the ridiculous with finesse, and it stays close enough to Carroll’s much-loved jokes and characters to keep loyal fans happy. Teenagers, in particular, will likely appreciate this version, especially if they happen to be going through a tough time (and which teenager isn’t?). Certainly this is a play of two halves with the second far exceeding the first as its young cast grew in confidence. On a feezing cold night in December a play was staged. A play that told of wondrous creatures and of things beyond imagining. A play in which the ordinary every day cares of the audience were suspended for a while as they entered a land of talking caterpillars, a beautiful blue cat, flamingos and hedgehogs, a turtle with a heavy load, a Queen with a nasty temper, a crazy Mad Hatter, and a little girl who having lost her brother in an accident dreams her way out of her sadness. Yes folks, It’s Alice in Wonderland, but not quite as you know it. This is Alice, by Laura Wade, adapted from Lewis Carroll’s famous tale, here on stage at The Criterion Theatre, Earlsdon. It’s a show that draws heavily upon the talents of the theatre’s young drama class participants and places them alongside some of the Criterion’s more familiar faces, giving them a chance to gain experience in the spotlight. It’s a good-hearted romp through a classic tale, spiced up with music from The Arctic Monkeys. The script starts slowly in the sombre setting of a funeral, but as soon as Alice enters Wonderland all hell breaks loose. It’s a laugh a minute but gives you lots to think about both in terms of the play and life in general.

This delightful piece of Children's Theatre is reminiscent of Theatre in Education programmes in the 80s. Laura Wade's adaptation of Charles Dodgson's classic tale uses a framing device which makes Alice's journey relevant to the experience of an early 21st century child. The Alice in this re-working of the story is a traumatised 12 year old, whose older brother has recently been killed in a traffic accident; she has also been rejected by her mother, who is incapable of seeing beyond her own grief.

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Graham O'Mara was on slightly dodgy ground as the Cheshire cat - 'Stroke my tummy' - but this scene was handled with consummate tact by director Lyndsey Turner, and O'Mara's convincing and innocent cat like purring deflated any thoughts of impropriety. John Biddle and Oliver Birch's double act as Tweedledum and Tweedledee was beautifully delivered and very funny. 'How cool is that?' After a drama degree at Bristol University, she began writing seriously, earning her keep with temp jobs during the day. "Temping was good. At the beginning of the week, I'd hate everyone. By the end of the week, there'd be all these characters; everyone had some sort of quirk." But she regards her move to London and her joining of the Royal Court's young writers programme as the real start of her career. The Court was a wonderful refuge, not least because, for the first time, she met other writers. It's a conceit that pays off well, given that Carroll's heroine is usually defined by her capacity for shrinkage, growth spurts and bouts of tears. Ruby Bentall's Alice is an obstreperous, streetwise kid who responds in a contemporary manner. "It must be a computer game," she decides. "I just need to work out how to get on to the next level."