Scottish Ballet: Alice

If any of you follow any Scottish bloggers you may have already read a wee bit about a lovely event that took place on Saturday where we all got to view Scottish Ballet's production of Alice.

Well before I post my ode to the day I really wanted to address the actual performance since it deserves it's pride of place in it's own post.

Alice is Scottish Ballet's choreographer Ashley Page' adaptation of Alice in Wonderland as seen through the camera lens (instead of a rabbit hole) which is a metaphorical projection inside the mind of Charles Dodgson (a.k.a Lewis Carroll).  In this production we see Charles a character in his own plotline guiding Alice through the bewilderment of Wonderland.

A veritable feast for the senses, Alice is both surreal and fantastic and a big bit trippy at times.  With a storyline that doesn't stick strictly to the traditional children's Alice, it was bizarre and hypnotic leaving me feeling slightly entranced and sometimes a little lost only to be awoken by each dreamlike scene.  I almost wanted to join Alice on her trip through Wonderland to make sense of the strange characters she met, sensing her confusion and journey of discovery simultaneously.

From the Dali-esque Caterpillar who tangoed his way around the set with Alice, the scarily evil Queen of Hearts, a sexy Cheshire Cat to the creepy but cute Humpty Dumpty who bore a raving resemblance to Leigh Bowery, the psychedelic efforts of the set design, characters, choreography and costumes captivated me from start to finish.   The duets between Alice and Charles were particularly moving with more than a touch of romanticism about them however when you remember the characters and their relationship, I won't lie, it was a little disconcerting but looked through an innocent eye, the duets were tender and moving and that I believe is what we are supposed to translate from this portrayal of a very special relationship.

Personally, I thought this production was just fabulous and really appealed to my quirky sense of humour and love of the alternative.

You can still see Alice at Edinburgh, Inverness, Cardiff and Aberdeen .... you can book here.

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