Marsden Primary students took audiences on a magical journey down the rabbit hole this week, with two wonderful performances of Alice – A Musical Adventure in the Marsden Auditorium on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

Performed by students from Years 0–6, Alice brought Lewis Carroll’s much-loved Wonderland to life through music, dance, humour and a colourful cast of characters. Audiences followed Alice as she chased the perpetually late White Rabbit into a strange new world, meeting the Cheshire Cat, Caterpillar, Mock Turtle, Mad Hatter, March Hare and Queen of Hearts along the way.

One of the most impressive things about the production was the confidence, composure and sheer enthusiasm shown by Marsden’s youngest performers. After many hours of rehearsals, the students delivered a slick and entertaining show, remembering an extraordinary number of lines, songs, dances, entrances and cues.

They also showed real poise when the occasional technical challenge arose, adapting quickly and carrying on without missing a beat.

Behind the production was our dedicated team of teachers, supported throughout by Head of Primary Mrs Jo Burns.

The show was directed by Ms Lynette Kitney and Miss Shannon Hayes, with Shannon also playing a significant role in choreography. We are also very grateful to Bridie Gray from Drama Club for her support.

Mrs Christine Barlow led costumes, with help from a wonderful team of Marsden parents and grandparents. The level of detail and creativity would have been impressive on any stage and was particularly extraordinary for a Primary school production.

Mrs Sarah Ash was responsible for the set and props, helping transform the Auditorium into the wonderfully strange world of Wonderland, while Miss Belinda Evans oversaw sound and lighting, supported by a fantastic crew of senior students.

And providing the musical heartbeat of the entire production was Marsden specialist Music teacher Ms Jenny Gould, who accompanied the show live on piano throughout both performances.

A production of this scale takes an enormous collective effort, and we are incredibly grateful to the teachers, parents, grandparents, students and supporters who shared their time and talents to make it possible.

But the stars of Alice were undoubtedly our students. They embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, courage and joy. Their hard work over many weeks was evident in every song, dance, line and character, and we could not be prouder of what they achieved together.

Congratulations to everyone involved in creating such a memorable trip to Wonderland.