LUUMT's Alice by Heart: A Review

The challenge of putting on a production of Sheik and Sater's Alice by Heart lies in

its inherent whimsy and unadulterated madness that stem from its fused settings of

WWII's Blitz and Alice's 'Wonderland'. LUUMT Society does an incredible job at

translating this sentiment to the stage; such an incredible job, in fact, that I came

back to watch it for a second time. From the mesmerising movement sequences

(choreographed by Lucy Butterworth and Lily Payton), to the shining examples of the

vocal ranges upper limits (credits to Bethan Green as the Queen of Hearts and Edie

Gray as the Caterpillar), this production performed in-the-round at the Pyramid

Theatre goes above and beyond to immerse you in this fairytale world refracted

through the lens of grief. Amelia Perry perfectly embodied Alice, and all was carefully

orchestrated by director Charlotte Hunter.

The moment I set foot into the theatre I was greeted by the visual elements of the

liminal space that sits at the threshold between the WWII shelter and Wonderland:

Alice's storybook. Scattered across the space were pages torn out of a book, which

could be seen floating from the ceiling of the theatre. The coloured lighting was used

very effectively, often reflecting the colour palette of the principal character of each

scene and used again when that character appeared later on. The set design was

minimal, and I strongly commend this as it allowed for the ensemble to physicalise

the ornaments of the story themselves, something that was capitalised on in

numbers such as 'West of Words', 'Chillin the Regrets' and 'Manage your Flamingo'.

The latter of the three was a standout in terms of props and ensemble work. The use

of umbrellas and croquet mallets as phallic symbols only consolidated the

masterclass in comedic timing that was the eccentric Duchess’ scene (played by

Nathan Pocock), and were cause for rapturous laughter from the audience. The

costuming, designed by Lily Payton and Dearbhla Delaney, was well thought out and

accurately representative of each character, whilst also threading seamlessly

between both the real and fantasy worlds.

As is true with all LUUMT performances I have seen, the live band was excellent.

Headed by the talented Charlie Nickels, the band performed each song with great

personality and care, to the extent that you forget they are playing live. My only slight

issue in this area was that occasionally, the music overwhelmed the actors’ quieter

moments, during which diction became muffled under the music. However, I

understand that this is something rather difficult to have total control over and I

commend both the actors and band members for adjusting where necessary. The

band particularly stood out in the number 'Sick to Death of Alice-ness', in which the

actors and musicians were so incredibly in sync I can only assume every movement

was choreographed to the millisecond. This led to it being one of the strongest

numbers in the show, somehow simultaneously hilarious, terrifying, beautiful, and

terribly sad.

Throughout the performance, the actors displayed not only brilliant vocal and

movement quality, but of course, a supremely high acting standard. In particular I

would like to highlight the professional standard of the comedic acting from Bethan

Green, Henry Marshall, Nathan Pocock, and Ash Mallen (the Queen of Hearts, the

Mad Hatter, the Duchess and the Mock Turtle respectively). Each moment with these

actors on stage felt natural and easy, whilst simultaneously mildly strange and

uncomfortable in the best of ways. It became instantly clear to me that a lot of effort

was put into characterisation when looking at the reactions of each ensemble

member. At any moment, you could fix your gaze on any of the cast and instantly be

entertained by their individual and unique lunacy.

In terms of choreography and audience impact, Brillig Braelig was of the strongest

numbers. Perhaps I am biased as this is one of my favourite songs of the musical,

but the lighting alongside the powerful dance moves, not to mention Tom Grice's

frightening performance as the twitching and unsettling Jabberwocky, truly elicited

every reaction it intended to. Another extremely clean number was 'Chillin the

Regrets', led by the Caterpillars Edie Gray and Erwan Fayolle, both of whom

perfectly encapsulated the enigmatic nature of their characters, remaining constantly

in tandem with each other throughout the show.

I feel inclined to end on the more emotionally powerful performances of the night. I

am referring to, of course, that of Amelia Perry, Aaron Collis and Anna Duffell as

Alice, Alfred and the Cheshire Cat respectively. There was a rawness in these

performances that I believe was what elicited tears in many of the audience

members. Each of the musical numbers that had these characters at the centre were

very stripped back, which allowed the audience to hear each lyric between the gentle

trembling breaths of the actors. It was clear to me that the audience resonated with

the sisterly love between Alice and the Cheshire Cat, as well as the gut-wrenching

pain and denial of losing someone that you love, that was encompassed beautifully

as a theme in the story. The lingering innocence clinging to Alice and Alfred's

characters was also deeply moving.

Above all else I would like to congratulate every single member of this production for

the time and effort put into making such an incredible show, and I look forward to

LUUMT Society’s next performance’s success.

Words by Annalisa Christou, she/her