At Lancing College, the grounds have long been a source of wonder and inspiration for pupils and visitors alike. Recently, the Third and Fourth form students took this sense of enchantment to new heights with their performance of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Adrian Mitchell.
A Magical Exploration of Lancing College
Stepping through the metaphorical 'looking glass', the pupils led their audience on a spellbinding tour of the College's historic grounds. From the serene Quads to the beautiful Outdoor Theatre, each location was transformed into a whimsical setting, where the audience was immersed in the world of Alice and her fantastical adventures.
The performance was a true testament to the creativity and talent of the young performers, who brought the story to life with boundless energy and enthusiasm. As they navigated the winding paths and hidden nooks of the College, the audience was captivated by the seamless integration of the setting and the narrative, creating a truly immersive experience.
Mollie T, Third Form, writes of her experience:
I have had the most amazing time being one of the Alice’s in Alice in Wonderland the Junior play. When my peers and I were told we would be part of a promenade style performance, we were all excited but nervous. None of us had ever taken part in such a large-scale piece of outdoor theatre before. Our nerves quickly subsided when we began rehearsals, under Mrs Gerstmeyer’s calm nature and innovative ideas, the play soon transformed into a crisp, yet amusing production and my friends and I thoroughly enjoyed this fascinating style of performance. This genre allows the audience to appreciate the stunning surroundings of the College and without the confines of a traditional theatre, moving effortlessly from Reception, around the College and then finishing in the Theatre. I loved the thrill of seeing the audience making their way towards our scene each evening and watching the play develop over the weeks has been interesting to watch. It feels like such an accomplishment be a part of such a successful production and this play has certainly filled me with great anticipation and excitement for my drama studies here at Lancing, and I can’t wait to have the opportunity to perform in more of the productions here at the college.
I loved how everyone interpreted and developed their own characters for their roles, rather than just following the traditional tropes. For every performance and every scene, Alice was a slightly different Alice and I tried to be a slightly different Hare, as we experimented with who our characters could be. I was the Hare in the Mad Tea Party and I must say, we may have been enjoying our roles a little too much, for we remained in character even when we weren't acting, singing nonsensical songs and having conversations in fluent gibberish because it was probably the only time it would be socially acceptable for us to act like total fools. The promenade element really helped bring the play to life, not to mention that the views from Sankey's lawn where we acted are sublime. At the end of the final performance, I was relieved but also a bit sad because the play felt like a part of my routine, which I was really enjoying, and I also made some amazing new friends along the way. I don't study Drama (it was one of the many subjects I betrayed while making my GCSE choices) but I wanted to have a reason to get back in the Theatre. Everyone involved fulfilled their roles with vim, vigour and verve and should all be very proud of themselves; it was definitely one of my favourite highlights of yet another fantastically busy year at Lancing. Bravissimo!
Hilmi M