“Alice in Wonderland: A British Panto” is a wonderfully witty and clever take on the classic Lewis Carroll story. Going into this play, I’d never seen or heard of panto, so my expectations were a bit muddled by my lack of knowledge. Though once the play started, I was pleasantly surprised by the mixture of several different stories into a fun mess of humor and colorful costumes.
To start, Panto, which originated in England, is essentially a form of theatre that aims to make fun of theatre. The play does a good job of doing away with the traditional “Alice in Wonderland” narrative as evident by the inclusion of the “Nutcracker” Prince and Merida from Pixar’s “Brave,” just to name a couple of its artistic references.
But going beyond small throwaway references, the play does a good job of using these out-of-place characters in an entertaining and endearing way that makes you forget that Alice and Merida most certainly weren’t friends.
The tone of the play is intentionally cheesy, and that’s a good thing. Not taking itself too seriously, the entire thing is supposed to be a parody of traditional theater and trades the subtlety and nuance of drama for outright bright and funny slapstick. It’s very clear: They want the audience to cringe, which I did throughout the entire thing while trying to hold back genuine laughter.
From start to finish this play throws the audience into wonderland and doesn’t let up. While it isn’t always apparent to the audience what’s going on, the humor of the show helps alleviate some of the confusion.
The good acting by the cast fit the play’s atmosphere. Everyone onstage seemed to be enjoying themselves just as much as the audience. I could feel the characters’ emotions as they moved around the stage, singing and dancing. This palpable emotion from the cast drew me in, and instead of just watching the play, I felt as if I was in the play myself.
The delivery of the jokes from a wild and diverse cast wouldn’t have been the same had it not been for the gorgeous costumes created by City College’s own costume department. Everyone looked like a walking art canvas adorned in loud, extravagant colors, especially the character of Dame Loretta B. Goode (played by Lew Rooker), a standout in this play who wore a bright purple polka dot skirt suit with a large pink wig and bright pink converse to match.
Because this play is a panto, audience participation was also a large part of the overall experience. Some of the best parts were when the audience is told to shout at specific characters or given candy by the cast. Participation also comes into play, especially at the end when Alice is put on trial by the villainous Red Queen (Sarah Palmero), who also gives a standout performance.
By the end of the play, I was deeply immersed in a colorful, pun-filled performance. While parts of the plot confused me, I still enjoyed the performance, and I would recommend this play to those who enjoy classic slapstick comedy.
The play runs from Nov. 22 through Dec.15. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for seniors and $10 for students
