A CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER ADAPTATION

By Francesca Killoran | Francesca Killoran ⭐⭐ | Press Invite

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is based on the beloved children’s book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. However, James Hyland’s adaptation is not obviously for children as it’s absurdism and existentialism takes the audience to a very dark place. This production features James Hyland as the Mad Hatter and Joshua J. Jewkes as the March Hare. The premise is that since Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, the Hatter and the Hare have been stuck perpetually at 6o’clock or thereabouts. Hyland’s Hatter has decided to embrace this permanent tea-time by abandoning any sense of time or reasoning whilst Jewkes’ Hare acts as a more subdued voice of reasoning. This is reflected in their performances as Hyland is exuberant and volatile while Jewkes’ offers a quieter comedy that left the young girls sitting next to me in hysterics.

The White Bear Theatre provided an intimate and comfortable atmosphere, perfect for a dinner party. As we took our seats, Hyland and Jewkes were already on stage sleeping while Chris Warner’s folksy instrumental music set the scene of jaunty joviality. The staging was simple but successful, and Iris Farquharson’s lighting was extremely effective. The costuming of the Hare is particularly impressive as his towering headpiece with gigantic ears was artfully crafted by A Child of The Jago – a fashion brand which was founded by designer and social activist Joe Corre in 2008. Another prominent character is the puppet of the dormouse, designed by Liz Johnson, whose stitched together face reminded me of Frankenstein’s monster. This turns out to be an appropriate comparison as the dead dormouse has the power to reanimate the living. This is a particularly interesting segment of the show. There is some beautiful choreography and dancing. However, while I do not want to spoil the surprise, as a disabled woman with a mobility aid certain aspects about this reanimation scene left me feeling uncomfortable.

There are some brilliant moments of comedy and some interesting discussions around the linear nature of time and memories. All the performances were really strong. However, at times it seemed to be confused about who the show was for. It varied from nihilistic monologues about the inevitability of death to frankly a lot of fart jokes. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was an ambitious but puzzling performance.

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