Ballet Theatre Queensland has tumbled down the rabbit hole into… a Hollywood film studio.
Their premiere of Alice in Wonderland at QPAC’s Concert Hall on January 22 combined childlike whimsy with the glamour of 1930s movie magic into a visual and sonic feast featuring an original score, choreography and setting for the iconic tale.
The talented students of 24 different south-east Queensland dance schools filled out Wonderland with a kaleidoscope of not just ballet but tap dancers too, bringing to mind the fun of classic musicals set in the ‘30s like 42nd Street and Anything Goes.
With such a beloved reference work as Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, it felt like every element of the production played a starring role in the creation of Wonderland, including choreography by Clare Morehen, costume design by Rebekah Ellis, set design by Josh McIntosh, lighting by Ben Hughes and sound by Wil Hughes.
At first, beige tones and dim lighting set the bleak post-depression era into the tones of a sepia photograph, contrasted with the blast of colour and glitz that greet Alice in Wonderland.
Not to mention Lucas D Lynch’s score, kicking off with a dreamlike overture before setting off on adventures in all sorts of musical directions as Alice met each of the characters on set.
In this reimagining, the Mad Hatter is an eccentric director (guest artist Jayden Grogan), the White Rabbit a frenetic producer (guest artist Matthew Erlandson), the Caterpillar a dapper leading man (guest artist Jordan Lennon), while the Queen of Hearts (Sophia Gougoulas on Opening Night) flies off in rages as the insatiable diva kowtowed to by the King, or personal assistant (guest artist Kohei Iwamoto).
Each character’s scene heralded a change in music, with a big band sound as Alice stumbled upon the hatter in the Eat Me Diner and a sultry saxophone theme for the caterpillar as he twirled her around, smoke cascading from under his hat.
The diva made her demands and accepted the fawning subservience to the tense sounds of the tango, while the glamorous showgirls with their pink feathered costumes, in a wink to the flamingos of the original story, danced to showstopping jazz.
Familiar musical motifs that evoked composers like Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and George Gershwin placed the audience right in the period.
Lynch’s music fit snugly with Morehen’s evocative choreography, combining to tell the story in a convincing and emotive framework for the performers.
The evergreen tale of the restless and imaginative young girl with dreams that take her far from her humdrum reality – much like the dreams the Great Gatsby had in the Golden Age – has been reimagined to dazzling effect.
Alice in Wonderland runs for a short season until January 25 – don’t miss it.
Purchase tickets at qpac.com.au/whats-on/2026/btq-alice-in-wonderland.
