As a young adult, Alice Liddell (once the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) is rumored to have had a star-crossed romance with Prince Leopold, who was a student at Oxford where her father was a professor. Ensemble Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Mark Saltzman’s Alice, Formerly of Wonderland explores the post-Wonderland world for the now-grown-up children of the restrictive Victorian culture. Directed by Jim Fall, this world premiere will be presented onstage at the New Vic June 1-16.
Saltzman’s idea for this Alice sequel was conceived during the chapter of royal intrigue when the prince fell in love with the American actress. “It was the beginning of the Harry and Meghan romance, and somebody mentioned the history of royals and celebrity romances,” Saltzman says. “King Edward and Lillie Langtry; Prince Leopold and Alice Liddell … wait, what? Yes, a rabbit hole,” he continues, “and yes, I went down it.”
The characters in this show may be educated, upper-class, and even royal, but they are still written with depth and emotional complexity.
Alice, for instance, says Margie Mays, who portrays Alice in the show, is multidimensional in a way that’s familiar to the collective perception of the Alice character. “She’s sweet and what you’d expect, but she’s a real girl. She’s mischievous; she’s bratty; she likes to gossip.”
Leopold, on the other hand, lives with heredity impediments that darken his privileged life.
An interesting aspect of this show is the traditional a cappella singing that enhances the narrative (musical arrangements by Jack Lipson). A tradition at Oxford, this style of choir is an appropriate “background” sound to fit the scenes, especially since Leopold himself was a member of the campus glee club. This production’s a cappella is a unique blend of barbershop quartet, hymn, and traditional university fare.
See the premiere of Alice, Formerly of Wonderland June 1-16 at the New Vic Theatre (33 W. Victoria St.). For more information and tickets, see etcsb.org.
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