"The Wednesday Play" Alice in Wonderland (1966)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Jonathan Miller

Writer:

Lewis Carroll (novel)
(more)

TV Series:

"The Wednesday Play" (1964)

Original Air Date:

28 December 1966

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Caterpillar | Nurse | Tea Party | Rabbit | Duck

Cast

Anne-Marie Mallik	...	Alice
Freda Dowie	...	Nurse
Jo Maxwell Muller	...	Alice's Sister (as Jo Maxwell-Muller)
Wilfrid Brambell	...	White Rabbit
Alan Bennett	...	Mouse
Finlay Currie	...	Dodo
Geoffrey Dunn	...	Lory
Mark Allington	...	Duck
Nicholas Evans	...	Eaglet
Julian Jebb	...	Young Crab
Michael Redgrave	...	Caterpillar (as Sir Michael Redgrave)
John Bird	...	Frog Footman
Anthony Trent	...	Fish Footman / 2nd Gardener (as Tony Trent)
Leo McKern	...	Duchess
Avril Elgar	...	Peppercook
Peter Cook	...	Mad Hatter
Michael Gough	...	March Hare
Wilfrid Lawson	...	Dormouse (as Wilfred Lawson)
Gordon Gostelow	...	1st Gardener
Peter Eyre	...	Knave of Hearts
Alison Leggatt	...	Queen of Hearts
Peter Sellers	...	King of Hearts
John Gielgud	...	Mock Turtle (as Sir John Gielgud)
Malcolm Muggeridge	...	Gryphon
David Battley	...	Executioner
Charles Lewsen	...	Foreman of the Jury (as Charles Lewson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Idle	...	(uncredited)
Angelo Muscat	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jonathan Miller

Writing credits
Lewis Carroll		(novel "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland")
Jonathan Miller		(teleplay) uncredited

Produced by
Jonathan Miller	....	producer

Original Music by
Ravi Shankar

Cinematography by
Dick Bush

Film Editing by
Pam Bosworth

Production Design by
Julia Trevelyan Oman

Costume Design by
Kenneth Morey

Makeup Department
Eileen Mair	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Stephen Dalby	....	dubbing mixer (as Steven Dalby)
John Murphy	....	sound recordist
Brian Simmons	....	assistant sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Daly	....	lighting technician
Sydney Marker	....	grip
Phil Meheux	....	assistant camera (as Philip Méheux)

Editorial Department
Dan Rae	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Leon Goossens	....	musician: oboe
Ravi Shankar	....	musician

Other crew
Jean Braid	....	title designer
Lewis Carroll	....	original drawings: closing credits
Sheila Lally	....	assistant to director
Fraser Lowden	....	assistant to director (as Frazer Lowden)
Tony Palmer	....	assistant to director

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sydney Newman		creator

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Distributors

• British Film Institute (BFI) (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

72 min (25 fps)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the Mock Turtle is singing, the sound does not match up with his lip movements.

Movie Connections:

Version of Dreamchild (1985)

Trapped in the mind of Alice

Jonathan Miller adapted the Lewis Carrol work for the BBC's Wednesday Play series. Using music by Ravi Shankar and a style that is truly dreamlike he has deconstructed the novel in such away as to have it play as the unconscious ramblings of a teenage girl. Its profoundly disturbing in its way since almost none of the actors are costumed as animals so its very hard to know who is who unless you really know the book, what they say takes on a different sort of weight.Its very well done, but I don't know if I'd show it to any children since I'm not sure what they would make of it. Very much a product of its time the tone and feel of the piece is very much akin to almost any of the films from England from the period (say Richard Lester's Beatles films or Bedazzled, or something with Eleanor Bron). The cast is wonderful allowing for a show case for people like Peter Sellers, Peter Cook, Michael Gough, Michael Redgrave, John Gielgud and Leo McKern. Its a unique and very successful telling of the story, however its so odd I don't know if I ever need to be trapped in Alice's head again.