ANU Musical Theatre Collective | Review by Ekaterina Maric
A Devastating Twist on Alice In Wonderland
24 May 2025
Alice By Heart (music by Duncan Sheik, book by Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson) dives into the complexities of navigating life as an adolescent even as the world outside seems unrecognisable. As London is ravaged by the Blitz, Alice Spencer clings on to the last remaining part of her childhood: her best friend, Alfred. Taking shelter underground, a group of teens are pulled into Alice’s fantasy retelling of ‘Alice In Wonderland’ as she tries desperately to stave off Alfred’s death from tuberculosis. The ANU Musical Theatre Collective’s production, directed by Olivia Martin, perfectly captures the soaring emotions of grief, growing up, and imagination in their spin on this tragic retelling.
With a role that is full of epic emotional highs and lows, Siye Whitebread shines as Alice, her crystal-clear voice taking the cast and the audience alike ‘down the hole’ for an adventure. Her Alice and Alex Matthews’ Alfred deliver a sweet, innocent chemistry that had me shedding a fair few tears during ‘Afternoon’. The rest of the cast similarly take on their roles with flawless gusto, in particular Sophie Parnham as the Nurse and Queen of Hearts, whose command of her court even extended to those watching, as she shushed us at the end of ‘Isn’t it a Trial’. James Phillips as the Duchess had the audience in tears from laughter, offering a nice respite in comedy, while somehow still delivering the more poignant moments with effortless emotion.
What I loved most from this production was seeing a group of young people take on these roles: with a cast of teenage characters, Alice By Heart is elevated, rather than held back by being a student production. A girl only a few years older than 15 year-old Alice Spencer perhaps offers a more authentic approach to the endearing, but ultimately naïve character than a seasoned professional would. Similarly, Bente Helgeby as Nigel/ Dormouse repeating her desire for her mother to come for her tugged at the heartstrings of everyone watching. The rest of the cast kept up the energy of a group of teens playing make-pretend in a way that felt immensely real.
The direction of the show by Olivia Martin effortlessly communicated the child-like wonder and scrappiness that is the essence of Alice By Heart. And while the blocking had the tendency to fall flat in some more intense scenes, where the actors’ emotions were not echoed in their physical actions, these were quickly forgiven and forgotten in the momentum of the story and the detail of the world. The homegrown feel of the hand-painted set captured the heart of the show, while costume designer Lara Kirchner and props designer Emily Walpot delivered wickedly creative use of objects, such as ties and book pages that emphasised the characters’ minimal access to supplies.
Unfortunately, the audio mixing on the Thursday night show left a lot to be desired, and audience members who might not be familiar with the show would struggle to understand the lyrics as the actors’ voices were often difficult to make out over the band. While the balance may have faltered, the onstage band – led by Phoebe Mu– delivered stunning instrumentals that felt perfectly whimsical, highlighting the many talents of the student body that brought this performance to us.Alice By Heart works on many levels, as cast, crew, and band paint a heartbreaking picture of the reality faced by the teenagers in the shadow of war, as well as Alice’s imagined reality. With a fresh view by a young team, this production offered a touching story and an enchanting world to enjoy.
Ekatarina Maric is a passionate writer and theatre goer, aiming to experience all the Canberra theatre scene has to offer. Before graduating, she participated in her high school’s performing arts program as much as possible, including putting on shows that she had written whilst also performing in the cast. Post graduation, she hopes to continue participating in programs such as Canberra Youth Theatre’s Young Critics, and expand her experience in all areas of theatre. She especially loves shows put on and performed by young people, and adores musical theatre.
