‘Alice in Wonderland’ & ‘Through The Looking Glass’ by Lewis Carroll

Both of the newspaper clippings shown in the memorabilia from this joint School and Drama Club production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, were originally featured in the ‘walthamstowhistory.com’ website run by Dickie Dunn – who, as shown by the names in his ‘Lighting Plot’ copy of the script, was clearly in his usual backstage role with the ‘ancient’ lighting board – ably assisted, as also noted, by Cleve Edmundson!

 

Click on the images to enlarge, scroll and see captions

Trial Scene photograph provided by Maxine Elliott

 

Guardian Newspaper Report Text

“MARK HOUSE CHILDREN STAR ON STAGE”

 ‘Pretty Jill Cooper looks on aghast as March Hare (Miss N Evans) and Mad Hatter (Mr E Griffiths) – two of the staff – pop Dormouse Gania Robinson into the teapot during the Mark House Secondary School production of ‘Alice in Wonderland’

Stagecraft is becoming an increasingly important subject in the offbeat curriculum at Mark House Secondary School in Walthamstow

Just how enthusiastic they are about their favourite class a large number of the scholars, backed by their teachers, demonstrated to enthusiastic audiences in the school hall – affectionately known as The Mark House Theatre – on Thursday and Friday. Since Easter the dramatic club has been preparing for and rehearsing ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Through the Looking Glass’. The productions were a tribute to their enthusiasm and ingenuity.

King-pin of the production was the director-producer Cyril Malyon. He helped to create the clever scenic effects when Alice grows larger and smaller – a table which rises as if by magic and a rotating door, alternatively large and small

Twins Help

 Seventy costumes were made by the Needlecraft Mistress Miss Marjorie Kett and a number of girl scholars. Two of her chief aides were British Guianian twins of Chinese descent – Jennifer and Jacqueline Gillete. Such is the sustained interest of Mark House scholars that many of the characters in the play were ex scholars who have graduated to the Marsh Street Youth Centre Drama Club which also meets in the Mark House School. Lending a little dignity and maturity to the entertaining production were five teachers – Mr C Smith, Miss A Townsend, Miss N Evans, Mr E Griffiths and Mr M Bone.  All the effective scenery panels were designed and painted under the supervision of school Art master Mr J Jones.

Rarely off the stage for two and a half hours was 12 year old Jill Cooper, an amateur ballet dancer, a superb ‘Alice’. Word perfect she moved gracefully from scene to scene, establishing the essential continuity in Lewis Carroll’s two classic works.

IT’S ALICE in MARK HOUSE

DRAMA REVIEW

Markhouse School Drama Group, Marsh Street Drama Class and the past and present pupils of the school are inseparable. When one is not helping the other, as in Marsh Street’s production of the ‘Rose & The Ring’, old pupils of the school come back to assist in a presentation by the school’s Drama Group

So it was with ‘Alice’ and not only ‘Alice in Wonderland’ *********** ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ as well, presented by the school, at the school, last Thursday and Friday. As well as just past members of the school helping out ***** the younger present ones, we had representatives from the teaching staff also in the cast

Hardly a trick was missed, never an incident was omitted. All of Lewis Carroll’s story was there, dramatized by Clemence Dane, turned into an opera by Richard Addinsell’s music. It was something of a tour de force for those working backstage changing the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party into the Queen of Heart’s croquet lawn and back again to the Duchess’s kitchen complete with Cheshire cat

SURPRISE NIGHT

 A night of surprises made tables grow and shrink, dream sequences fade in and out the cats grin shine in the tree and the pool of tears shimmer saltily. Jill Cooper started a little nervously as Alice but her increasing confidence soon affected the whole cast, with Irene Long fussing as the White Rabbit, Mr C Smith obviously enjoying his hooks as the Caterpillar and Miss A Townsend resplendent in red wig as the Duchess. A word of praise needs to be said about the excellence of the makeup and costumes, revealing a lifelike March hare (Miss N Evans) and a superbly Welsh Mad hatter from Mr E Griffiths

WELL IN TUNE

 Barry Elliot’s Mock Turtle was well in tune with ‘Soup of the Evening’ and the Aylott twins, Gordon and Gerald, made a welcome return to the school as the Lion and the Unicorn

Such was the strength of the cast, stage crew, make up team and lighting assistants that Cyril Malyon was only able to muster his full complement on the dress rehearsal on the night before the show. The play had been three months in rehearsal and resulted in a good deal of fun for both the performers and for the audience

Peter Denholm

 

Cast – Alice in Wonderland

• Prima – Janet Sutton
• Secunda – Dorothy Austin
• Alice – Jill Cooper
• White Rabbit – Irene Long
• Mouse – Gillian Argent
• Lory – Margaret Meads
• Dods – Andrea SElwyn
• Baby Lory – Christine Griffiths
• Duck – Joan Dunn
• Guinea Pig – Madeline Garrett
• Caterpillar – Chris Smith
• Frog Footman – Iris Sangster
• Fish Footman – Linda Silverman
• Duchess – Agnes Townsend
• Cook – Maxine Elliott
• Cheshire Cat – Margaret Whitehall
• March Hare – Norma Pepperel
• Mad Hatter – Eric Griffiths
• Doormouse – Gaynor Robinson
• Two of Spades – Dianne Palmer
• Five of Spades – Linda Rolley
• Seven of Spades – Carol Young
• Queen of Hearts – Iris Suffolk
• King of Hearts – David Hanks
• Executioner – Graham Lewis
• Gryphon – Michael Bone
• Mock Turtle – Barry Elliott
• Knave of Hearts – Michael Casey
• Soldiers – Frances Scott & Susan Treadaway

Cast – Alice Through the Looking Glass

• Alice – Jill Cooper
• Red Queen – Suzanne Barnes
• Tweedledee – Jean Simmonds
• Tweedledum – Joan Simmonds
• White Queen – Hazel Bassett
• Sheep – Mary Coleman
• Humpty Dumpty – Denis Heath
• White Knoight – Susan Treadaway
• Haigha – Norma Evans
• Hatta – Eric Griffiths
• Lion – Gerald Aylott
• Unicorn – Gordon Aylott
• White Knight – Garry Francis
• Frog Footman – Iris Sangster
• Fish Footman – Linda Silverman
• Prima – Janet Sutton
• Secunda – Dorothy Austin
• Puppeteers – David Moerell & Robert Perry

Stage Manager

• Florence Sleath

Assistant Stage managers:

• John Cade & David Morgan

Lighting

• Richard Dunn & Cleve Edmonston

Stage Crew 

• Alec Malyon, Edwin Coleman, Peter Wright, Derek Knight, Michael Casey, Keith Franklin, Robert Jackson, Keith Brownutt & Robert Gouldstone.

Make Up

• Judith Riches, Janet Grace, Ruth Brownutt, Valerie Bloomfield, Abigale Reynolds & Jennifer Lepley

Piano

• Eileen Wallace & Richard Dunn

Prompter

• Susan Riches

Costumes

• Marjorie Kett & Girls of the School

Scenic Panels

• John Jones

Sets

• Frank Gizzi & Boys of the School

Special Sound Effects recorded by J Graham-Jones at The Monoux School Studio

 

Produced & Directed by Cyril Malyon & Chris Smith