A musical by Tom Waits, Kathleen Brennan, Paul Schmidt and Robert Wilson
DEC 4 – DEC 20 (half price preview Nov 30)
A Canadian Premiere !
Tom Waits is one of the most influential singer/composers of the late 20th century, and continues to inspire and challenge listeners to the present day. Waits and his three long-time collaborators have created a highly theatrical and richly textured performance piece, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. A number of the more familiar episodes from the Alice stories are enticingly reworked with Waits’ music and Paul Schmidt’s script, giving Lewis’ characters a new voice that powerfully explores the plight of innocence in a duplicitous world. This is Alice with an adult edge. Theatre Inconnu once more joins forces with Victoria’s own musical renegades, The Party on High Street; who so dynamically contributed to Love Kills, the Musical (2010).
And for those concerned about volume in our intimate venue; the music and accompaniment are performed mostly acoustically with minimal amplification.
Critical response:
“Imaginative costuming by Shayna Ward… talented acting… Together, the cast and production team bring to life characters from the Alice stories with an edge you’ve never seen in them before… Alice is a play that risks much and touches deeply.”
Coastal Spectator
“There is no shortage of creativity… it demonstrates Inconnu’s continued commitment to taking risks… it’s consistently entertaining… Melissa Blank makes an ideal Alice… Marina Legace sings beautifully… Reese Nielsen shines… The production itself is worth seeing… for its ingenuity in bringing such a strange story to the stage.”
CVV Magazine
“A compelling production… you could easily see twice… an aura of deep mystery…The songs display outstanding variety… The artists… are geniuses at working magic by unusual means… a hidden treasure.”
Janis Lacouvee – I Have My Own Life to Live
“Another feather in the Theatre Inconnu cap… Kudos to Melissa Blank as Alice and Graham Roebuck… as Charles Dogdon…. I love the crazy costumes by Shayna Ward and the live musical accompaniment by The Party on High Street… it does stick with you.”
CBC
“A colourful and hallucinatory production that will charm… glimmers of transcendence… Kudos go to Robert Randall, whose brightly coloured illustrations (projected onto a backdrop) are simple and child-like in the best sense of the words. The Party on High Street… provides suitably funky, boho accompaniment with guitar, bass… percussion… accordions, a theremin and that strange horned instrument known as the Stroh violin.”
Times Colonist
Directed by Clayton Jevne, musical direction by Donna Williams, choreography by Stephanie Geehan, costumes by Shayna Ward, production design by Robert Randall, musical accompaniment by The Party on High Street (Travis Charuk, Nick Houghton, Brin Porter).
Cast: Melissa Blank, Wendy Cornock, Cam Culham, Marina Legace, Matt Mathiason, Reese Nielsen, Brin Porter, Graham Roebuck, Donna Williams
Preview: 8pm: Nov 30 (half-price)
8pm: Dec 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 10, 20
2pm: Dec 6, 13, 20
Reservations and Ticket Sales
Through TICKET ROCKET: ticketrocket.org <http://ticketrocket.org/> or 250-590-6291 (price will include a $2.50 surcharge).
Ticket prices: $14 (regular), $10 (seniors, students, unwaged)
Preview – Nov 30 is $7
Tuesday, Dec 9 is Pay-What-You-Wish admission
Subscribers and complimentary tickets: to make a reservation, please reserve directly through Theatre Inconnu at 250-360-0234, or by email.
We are handicap accessible. And for those with special seating needs, please make your reservations directly through Theatre Inconnu (see above).
Theatre Inconnu is located at 1923 Fernwood Road (across the street from the Belfry Theatre). For parking we suggest the side streets west of Fernwood Road as these do not have parking restriction signs.
Cam Culham and Melissa Blank
Photo by Monique Cartesan