Folly Bridge

What sort of a relationship was evolving when Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the mathematics lecturer at Oxford University, took the three young Liddell girls, the daughters of Canon Liddell of Christ Church, on boating excursions and picnics along the Thames and then invited them to his rooms to take tea and dress up for photographs? Could it be that the creation of Alice in Wonderland by Dodgson, writing as Lewis Carroll, was an attempt to preserve the fond memories of those happy days when his attraction to Alice Liddell may have been a little more than mere friendship? These are the intriguing questions explored by South Australian playwright Kelvin Butcher in his fascinating play Folly Bridge to be presented by Spotlight Theatre at the Holden Street Theatres in October. In following the lives of Alice in her later years; Alice as a young woman; and Alice as a child, the play provides insights into the latent possibilities of her relationship with Dodgson. By cleverly introducing fictional characters from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, the writer moves the play towards a climatic trial scene when Dodgson is called to account for his alleged actions by the Red King and his court. The comedic interpretations of the roles of the fictional characters relieve the dramatic tension but at the same time provide an effective device for highlighting the underlying seriousness of the play. For it is a serious play that touches on the sensitive question of relationships between adults and children. Paula Carter brings her long experience as a director to guide her actors through the complexities of this challenging production. The cast includes : Bob Brady, Alan Hendry, Tara Licciardi, Iris Pettit, Tricia Ryan, Bridget Walters, Liz Windsor. The play contains adult concepts and some strong language and may not be suitable for children of primary school age. Matinee on Saturday 3rd October at 2.00pm.