Capitol Theatre, Sydney
Reviewed February 20
Opening night of the Australian Ballet’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland at the atmospheric Capitol Theatre had a wonderful buzz in the air. The unusual architectural details and fantastical décor of the auditorium and foyer evoke the wondrous elements of Alice’s ‘Wonderland’ to such a degree it seems like the best possible venue (in Sydney at least); and the Capitol’s large stage gives the Australian Ballet’s dancers a chance to really move and the large and inventive sets the space to shine.
But before the curtain rose, an onstage announcement from Artistic Director David Hallberg, that, in addition to the usual welcome, informed us that a last-minute cast change due to injury had occurred, with the leading roles now to be danced by Sharni Spencer (Alice), Jarryd Madden (Jack/Knave) and Brett Chynoweth (Lewis Carroll/White Rabbit), replacing Benedicte Bemet, Joseph Caley and Chengwu Guo respectively. Happily, all three danced well despite their last-minute call.
Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet is an ambitious work with set designs (by Bob Crowley) that are integrated with large scale projections (designed by Jon Driscoll and Gemma Carrington) and puppetry of varying scales (designed by Toby Olie). The scenario of Lewis Carroll’s original tale has been fleshed out by Nicholas Wright, giving us a world in which the real-life characters that Alice meets in Act 1 at a garden party in Oxford (prior to falling down that iconic rabbit hole) all have a dual persona in the Wonderland environment of her imagination. This addition makes more sense of some of the more nonsensical characters and situations Alice encounters in Wonderland, while not having an answer for everything.
Highlights included the sinuous rippling and curving movements performed by Nathan Brook’s Raj/Caterpillar. The final section, in which he leads a pointe shoe clad-line up of ladies that comprise the many legs of the caterpillar, is beautifully realised but all too brief - I wish it could have lasted longer. Yuumi Yamada and Timothy Coleman displayed a delightful rapport as the Dormouse and the March Hare respectively, and George Murray-Nightingale made an appropriately wild-eyed and dashingly extroverted Mad Hatter. Steven Heathcote’s doddering old King of Hearts was well characterised and made an amusing foil for Ako Kondo’s furious Queen – her characterisation was exaggerated but still realistic in many ways, as she chose to play the role relatively straight rather than hamming it up for additional laughs. Speaking of which, the Cheshire cat puppet was well brought to life by black clad puppeteers onstage but would be more visually effective with a bigger, toothier Cheshire grin on its face.
Alice is the linchpin of the entire ballet and is onstage almost all the time - it must be a real marathon of a role. Spencer conveyed the youthful naivety and joy of Alice, as well as a convincing portrayal of a developing romance with Jack (danced sensitively and expressively by Jarryd Madden). Brett Chynoweth’s White Rabbit had all the nervous energy of the storybook character, and it was interesting to see how his costume changed over several scenes as he became more rabbit-like and less human (until his final scene change back to Lewis Carroll (or is he?!) which makes the audience question whether the whole episode in Wonderland was really just a flight of imagination or something altogether more real.
First created in 2011, Christopher Wheeldon’s production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a fun filled romp for all ages that makes the design elements a key part of the narrative, while Joby Talbot’s musical score reflects the quirks and oddities of Wonderland itself. With the Australian Ballet due to present a new full length work this year (Oscar), also a collaboration by this pair, no doubt the company is hoping that lightning will strike twice - and with equal success.
- GERALDINE HIGGINSON
The photos above are of the dress rehearsal cast.
The Australian Ballet's 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' continues in Sydney until March 5, then moves to the State Theatre in Melbourne from March 15 to 26.