Alice in Wonderland – Interview with our Director
Rehearsals are well underway for our annual Panto. This year we will be presenting Alice in Wonderland by Tom Whalley from the 4th-7th December. Our KLP newsletter editor reached out to Craig, our director to find out how it was going.
What a glutton for public for punishment, why did you agree to direct your 2nd KLP Panto?
Last year’s show was such a triumph, and we came away with raving reviews. The set was even nominated for a Noda award!
It was an easy decision to come back for a second time and see if we can make this one even better!
Not a traditional choice…. why Alice in Wonderland?
KLP are celebrating 100 years, so I wanted to choose something that was really able to wow the audience. Alice is such a well-known story, even for children in this day and age. I want to capture their imagination and give them a story they know.
Who is helping you behind the scenes?
With such an ambitious show we’ve managed to bring on board some big hitters, with each one bringing their own expertise to the table. There are quite a few departments to cover so plenty of names. Ros Swallow will Stage Manager and her experience will be vital for all the intricate parts. Alan Yates has taken my ideas and together we have created a wonderful stage design which will be brought to life by the one and only Tony Adair.
Ron Balmforth is joining me again to create the sound and lighting vision and this year he will be joined at the desk by Leanne Allen who has a very technical ear for all things sound! Costumes is massive which is being led by Carolyne Bevan and Barbara Johnson. With a cast of nearly 40 we are looking at perhaps 90 plus costumes either sourced or made from scratch. Props is being led by the talents of Julie Edgar and Julie Nelthorpe. Bringing to life all things great and small. That’s not to forget the Make-up team, the chaperones and the backstage crew……. you name it we’ve got it.
All of this is being held together by our Brilliant Production Manager Gary Edgar who is making sure all our ducks are in a row so to speak.
What sort of music can we expect this time round?
There’s a blend, as with all Pantos. Some new the kids will love and some old the grandparents will love. We also have a splash of musical theatre sparkle. The opening Chorus Number will surely bring the house down!! It’s going to be amazing!!
Tell us about your cast, any surprises?
We’ve got a wonderful array of talent with some KLP stalwarts but also some new faces. The casting process was tough this year and we had to hold a 2nd round of auditions as piecing the cast together wasn’t easy but massively satisfying, in a good way. The kids once again showed how much they’ve, grown not just in height but also in confidence and talent.
Panto has traditionally a large kid’s chorus…… how is this year’s looking?
Large large large!! It’s bigger than last year’s if you can believe it!!
They are older and more boisterous but I’m sure by curtain up they will do themselves proud.
Any visual treats you can tell us about?
Alice itself is a spectacle. We’ve got Shrinking & Growing, falling down rabbit holes, a plethora of colourful quirky characters. We are certainly working on the Magic and adding tricks and illusions to give you a spectacle. It won’t just stop at the stage………. the auditorium and foyer will also be transformed this year. You’ll just have to buy a ticket to find out who, what, where, how and why?
Why should we all rush to buy tickets? It’s only October……how’s the ticket sales looking?
Well, I wouldn’t hang about too long as the tickets for Saturday Matinee have almost already sold out!!! We’re going great guns. We’ve added a show in Wednesday night so we’re hoping we can capture more people and give people more chance to come and see the show.
Last year’s Panto didn’t gain an award so naturally we’re striving to do even better this year. It’s going to be a brilliant family show so come on and climb down the rabbit hole and let your imagination run wild.
Alice in Wonderland will be presented on the 4th-6th December at 7:30pm, and at 2pm and 6pm on Saturday 7th December. Click HERE to buy your tickets now!