Down the Rabbit Hole | Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts

When my daughter was a preschooler, she ’fell down the rabbit hole’ and would watch Alice in Wonderland (the 1951 Disney animated musical fantasy) a gazillion times. She never seemed to tire of seeing Alice follow the rabbit as he scurried down his hole into topsy-turvy Wonderland that was inhabited by an array of anthropomorphic (Google’s terminology, not mine) creatures. 

With the above in mind, my curiosity peaked when I learned that graduating students from ACPA (Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Art) had developed ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ which puts a new spin on this classic tale with a showcase of singing, dancing and acting.

With the aid of minimalist stage props, this world premiere catapulted the audience to a sterile hospital ward - overseen by Dr Hatter whose addiction to drugs is a means to an end and her coping mechanism in dealing with her patients. Speaking of which, said patients included Dee & Dum, Dormouse, Blak Rabbit, Marg Hare, Cheshire, Cathy Pillar, the White and Red Queens, and of course the adventurous Alice (the reason why thrilling Wonderland was discovered in the first place!)

Like me, Lewis Carrol would have surely been impressed with this inventive and clever wordplay, an additional testament to the students’ creative skills.

Accompanied by a catchy, upbeat original musical score, the stark reality of dealing with mental health issues was laid bare. As they worked their way through their group therapy session with Dr Hatter, the characters’ myriad mental health issues are revealed through incorporating catchy dance numbers and engaging singing. I was particularly impressed with the group’s entertaining rendition of their original song ‘Welcome to my Candy Store’ where they incorporated elements of hip-hop to a choreographed dance routine. 

Gifted with a commendable vocal range, Dee and Dum (Paul Isakara Williams and Harold Pascoe) 'hip'-synced their respective roles while busting out some rad dance moves. In fact, their resemblance was so uncanny that they could’ve been mistaken for fraternal twins or even brothers. The Red Queen (Jemiah-Jade Simpson-Berg) played the vengeful villain to the hilt. For the most part, oblivious to her surroundings, Cathy Pillar’s (Zakiya Ah Sam) addiction to vaping kept her in a constant state of euphoria, while at the opposite end of the (mental health) spectrum Dormouse (Blade Woodman) took advantage of every opportunity to nod off to sleep willy nilly. And then of course there was Alice whose naivety, adventurous nature and curiosity was the reason for being vilified by her fellow patients. 

Meanwhile Dr Hatter eventually lost her grip on things and painfully ended up on the stereotypical (psychiatric) couch. The irony of which was not lost on this audience member. 

The finale was a sheer pleasure and joy to witness as the cast got their groove on with the energetic ‘Boogie Wonderland’ by the legendary Earth Wind & Fire whose music genres span disco, funk, soul, R&B to name just a few. Audience members were encouraged to join in the fun on stage as cast members boogied and shimmied their way through this classic hit and closing musical number. 

Much respect and admiration to each cast member as they explored and brought their onstage characters to life. Their ambitious interpretation of mental health issues within our society was met with resounding applause from the audience. 

This multi-layered, musical theatre production also included the graduation ceremony for these eleven graduating students as they proudly accepted their Certificate IV in Performing Arts. 

As I reminisce (fondly) about those precious memories involving my daughter and after watching ACPA’s intriguing version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I find myself pondering the age appropriateness of this timeless classic and the message it imparted/still imparts. Is it a harmless or harmful message? 

I will never know until I ask my daughter… 

But what I do know is that ACPA’s clever and creative spin on this classic tale is a reality check for ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ begs the unsettling question “How do we as a society deal with mental health issues?”. Although this performance was a mere sixty minutes, ACPA managed to explore this timely topic adequately by allowing the audience a brief glimpse into the harmful and debilitating effects that depression, drug addiction, bullying, and more have on young people in particular.

Let’s remove the rose-coloured spectacles. 

Let’s continue to have this conversation. 

To check in with family, friends and colleagues to ask R U OK?