For talented theatre students it will feel as if they are dreaming when they get the chance to perform at a festival known the world over for unearthing stars of the future. And this will certainly be the case when would-be actors from Chichester College appear at the Edinburgh Fringe next month. For they will be performing their take on Alice in Wonderland, the 19th-century novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (under a pseudonym of Lewis Carroll).
The story sees a teenage Alice with no memory of the wonderland she visited as a young girl apart from when she somehow conjures up the images and passages in her dreams. Her life twists in an unexpected fashion when she spies a certain white rabbit and falls down a hole following him. Then she is reunited with pals such as the Mad Hatter and the Cheshire Cat before learning that it is her destiny to thwart the Red Queen and bring an end to her reign of terror.
Festival-goers from all over the globe relish the opportunity to visit Scotland for the fantastic annual event that will see the Chichester youngsters travel with their version of Alice in Wonderland to perform to hundreds of visitors.
The students have already had the chance to perfect their lines and work on their performances when they performed for appreciative audiences in Chichester with exclusive previews at the college last month.
And Andrew Green, who is the executive principal at the Chichester College Group, said that the performance at the festival massively helps the students hone their skills. He added:
“Performing at the Edinburgh Fringe is a great experience for our theatre and stage management students. They learn a lot in such a short period of time.
“It’s one thing to put on performances at college, but another to take a show to the other end of the country and compete against some of the best performers. I’m always blown away by the way the students rise to the challenge.
“And we were delighted to be able to invite audiences here in Chichester to follow us down the rabbit hole to the wonderfully weird world of Wonderland! It’s a fantastic family show, with a great script and colourful costumes. We are confident we will be able to build on our previous successes!”
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is described as “an inspiring celebration of the best performance and entertainment from every continent of our planet” and one regular attendee says she can’t wait to take in the performances.
Scottish-born Euphemia Allan, who lives near Chichester, said:
“It’s always such a hoot and one can never take for granted what one will see, such is the wonderful variation of what’s on offer.”
