Relaxed Performance – Sensory Guide Thursday 15th February at 2:00pm The Sainsbury Theatre, LAMDA Running Time: 2 hours 50 minutes including an interval.
Content warnings: This play contains themes of childhood trauma, grief, and violence, references to child loss and the death penalty, and discussions of death.
Relaxed Performances at LAMDA
• You are welcome to come and go from the theatre as you need • There is a break-out room available, the Rittner Room • House lighting is on low throughout, never going to full black-out • Loud noises are reduced in sound level • No strobe lighting is used • You are welcome to react to the show however you may need • At the end of this document is a show synopsis/sensory guide
Here is a guide to sensory information symbols in this document:
Indicates potentially loud or sudden noises
Indicates bright or sudden lighting changes
Indicates a sad or potentially distressing scene
Indicates fighting, or use of guns/weapons
Arriving at LAMDA When you arrive at LAMDA, the box office is to your right. You should pick up your ticket here, using your name.
Toilets are located right next to box office. LAMDA staff will be wearing LAMDA branded T-Shirts or lanyards. If you need any assistance whilst in the building, please ask them.
This is the Theatre Foyer. You may be asked to wait here until the house is open. You will be shown how to get to the Sainsbury Theatre by an usher.
This performance will take place in the Sainsbury Theatre. This is the entrance.
When you enter the theatre, an Usher will take your ticket from you. You are welcome to sit where you like. You can come and go from the space wheneveryou like. The house lights will stay on low throughout the show.
The breakout space which you are welcome to use at any point during the performance is the bar area. It is right next to the Sainsbury Theatre at Stalls Level and can be accessed via either door.
If you aren’t sure at any point during your visit where to go, please ask an usher.
Before the show begins, the actors will introduce themselves and the characters they are playing.
The lights in the theatre will dim and she show will start. You can come and go as you need through the doors you entered by.
At the end of the show the actors will come on and bow. You are welcome to clap at this point if you would like.
Alice Company Headshots
Alice Company Headshots
Below is a sensory guide for the performance that shows potential distressing actions in the play, split up by scenes Act 1 Act 1 opens with a funeral scene, which we find out is Alice’s brother, Joe, who was killed in a car accident. There is a loud crash as a caterer drops a plate which smashes across the floor. Alice uses strong language. During the funeral scene there is a sudden change of lights and loud music, where everyone but Alice starts dancing randomly. Alice’s Mum shouts at the Auntie as she discusses how Joe died. After the funeral, the stage is cleared and the White Rabbit appears from the trap door at the front of the stage with haze. Sometimes the trap door can make a loud bang when it is opened or closed. When the White Rabbit leaves, Alice is angry and upset that she is alone, and shouts for him to come back. Alice is in Wonderland and is in Border Control. Towards the end of the scene, an alarm sounds and all of the Wonderlanders run off stage shouting. Alice meets the Duchess. The Duchess screams very loudly with excitement when she gets an invitation from the Queen. Throughout this scene there are loud sound effects of a phone and a baby crying. The scene with the Cheshire Cat has music underneath it, which builds tension and could make you feel uneasy.
The Hatter’s Tea Party scene has a quick ticking sound of a clock throughout which could make you feel uneasy. The Hare pours some tea onto the Doormouse’s leg to wake them up - this is not hot and does not hurt the actor. Alice sees the Knave stealing the jam tarts from the Boy’s trolley. There is music underneath this that builds tension. The Knave threatens to kill Alice if she tells anyone what she saw. There is a loud surge in music as the Act finishes.
INTERVAL Act 2 There is a loud trumpet which announces the Queen’s arrival. Throughout this scene, the Queen shouts a lot, which is very loud. The Queen often threatens to behead everyone - we never see any of this happening. The Flamingo faints as Alice was holding it upside down and all the blood was rushing to his head. The Knave hits the Flamingo. This has been choreographed with a Fight Director, and nobody is hurt. Alice wins the game of croquet. There is a lot of cheering which is quite noisy. The Queen finds out that her tarts have gone there is rumbling music underneath as the Queen gets angry and leaves. At the end of the scene with Humpty Dumpty, Alice gets angry and is shouting. The ticking clock noise comes back. There is a small bang as Humpty jumps off the back of the stage.
The Postman has a letter for Joe, but Alice says she can’t give it to him. Alice starts reminiscing about time with her brother and gets upset. During the court scene, the Queen bangs the gavel on the table several times, which makes a loud noise. Alice tells the court that the Knave stole the tarts and that he would kill her if she told. He is sentenced to be beheaded and there are a large pair of scissors held by his neck. These scissors are not sharp or real. The Knave makes Alice look guilty and the Queen takes his side. There is a loud rumbling underneath the scene, that gets louder as the Queen says that she is guilty. Everyone in the courtroom laughs hysterically. As the courtroom starts to disappear, the lights turn red and start flashing. Alice is angry at the trial and is shouting to the White Rabbit.
THE END