View from the Green Room: ‘Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality,’ declares the Cheshire Cat
Alice in Wonderland was performed at Barron Hall, Stradbally.
In many ways, Alice in Wonderland is the perfect show for Martine Rogers and her Stage Coach Productions at the Barron Hall in Stradbally. The girl who fell down a rabbit hole and discovered a magical world of child talent and invention mirrors Martine’s arrival and journey in Stradbally because she’s discovered her own world of young talent and invention here.
Incredibly, Director Tom A. Rogers turns the tiny Barron Hall into an everywhere world where chaos rules, nothing makes sense and crazy characters delight in entertaining us for a performance of daring do. And all this with a young cast that grows in confidence every year to bring us quality productions in the Barron Hall where the welcome is warmer than a Bord na Móna bale of briquettes and the house announcements from Gráinne Casey, Maeve O’Neill and Sarah Coffey are a production in themselves.
There’s a cast here that could frame Ben Hur. Every square metre of the hall is used for the performance. The stage is extended; aisles are used and entrances come from everywhere to involve the audience in the show. Parts are framed for younger actors to give then stage experience and older cast members play and duplicate parts.
When Alice (Aoife Crotty and Kara Kiely) disappears into this crazy world, zany anthropomorphic creatures appear like Eva Haughey’s White Rabbit, who could bounce for Ireland in the Olympics. Invitations are extended to a tea party that never ends at the Mad Hatter’s (Eva Gough) and the March Hare’s (Rebecca Doyle) with the never-explained presence of a Doormouse (Gráinne O’Neill).
A kingdom, ruled by a mad and impetuous Queen of Hearts (Meabh Power) who wants her playing-card army (Meabh Jones, Louisa O’Connell, Aria Moynihan and Ava Connors) to decapitate all and sundry.
There’s a Duchess (Caoimhe Halpin) with a Cheshire Cat (Siún Jones) who just can’t take that grin off her face and a talking duck (Maeve O’Neill and Emily Keating), a quizzical Eaglet (Lily Kiely) and a Dodo (Sienna Cawley) who, apparently, is still around. Jack Carey is a Mad Turtle, Rebecca Fan is a Gryphon and Kara Kiely and Aoife Crotty share the roll of the Lobster who hasn’t ended up in the pot.
Tom A. Rogers directs, while Sarah Coffey and Martine Rogers do a splendid job as choreographers with the large cast.
Costumes from Martine and Bertie Rogers are real show-stealers and a never-ending delight in a charming show from Stradbally’s Stage Coach.
