Carrick-on-Suir panto Alice in Wonderwall captured the hearts of audiences

Carrick-on-Suir Musical Society served up another classic show brimming with riotous, slapstick comedy and an eclectic feast of popular songs with its annual Halloween pantomime - Alice in Wonderwall.

The show finished its five-day run at the Strand Theatre last Saturday, and was a joy to watch from beginning to end.
Alice in Wonderwall was based loosely on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. It’s script was co-written in-house by the show’s director Sandra Power and her husband Conor.

They gave the title and plot a topical Oasis style twist with Alice landing in the fantasy Wonderwall when she falls down the rabbit hole. Two feuding sisters – the Queens of Hearts and Diamonds - who were formerly in a band together, are among the fantastical characters she meets.

James Dowley who played the panto dame Mrs Tweedle with the King of Clubs Audie Murphy. Pictures Anne Marie Magorrian 

The pantomime’s production team cast a well-balanced mix of the Society’s experienced performers and younger talent in the show.

Musical Society leading man Neill Bourke was a delight as the White Rabbit and his performance of the current hit Diamond and Roses in Act 2 was one of the show’s high points.

Other standout moments were Liadhain O’Shea’s beautiful rendition of Home in her role as Alice; King of Hearts Freddie Doyle’s performance of Oasis hit Wonderwall and Count on Me sung by the King of Clubs Audie Murphy with the cast.

James Dowley reprised his role as the panto dame with aplomb. His antics as the beardy Mrs Tweedle drew peels of laughter from young and old in the audience throughout the show. He was ably assisted by Bobby Landers as the Mad Hatter in generating hilarity

The pantomime featured 120 performers from Carrick Musical Society’s Academy of Performing Arts for children aged between 5 and mid-teens, with 60 of these young performers taking to the stage each night. Their song and dance scenes are always one of the highlights of the Society’s pantomimes.

There was plenty of interaction between the cast and audience throughout the show with ample opportunities to chant ‘Oh yes he did’ or ‘Oh no he didn’t’ at the stage, rounded off with a fun dance routine for audience to learn at the end of the show.

The script was generously sprinkled with references to topical issues with a fluorescent pink Catfish (Jonathan Caulfield) among the characters, the Rose of Tralee (Aoibhe Vahey) and Enoch Burke (Kyle O’Toole and Alex Behan) featured in cameo roles.

The show’s vividly colourful and extravagant costumes complimented by great theatrical make up also deserve special praise.

Overall, Alice in Wonderwall was a show that left all who watched it departing the Strand Theatre grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Carroll’s Wonderland.

The cast of Alice in Wonderwall in action on stage at the Strand Theatre in Carrick-on-Suir last week. Picture Anne Marie Magorrian

Check out more photos from Alice in Wonderwall in the two page coverage of the show in this week's edition of The Nationalist now on sale in local shops.