People talk about going down rabbit holes but Layla Schillert actually intends to. Go down a rabbit hole that is … and not just metaphorically.
The 19-year-old rising Australian star is playing Alice (yes, that Alice, of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) in Cirque Alice, which has its world premiere in the Concert Hall at QPAC in April.
This is an epic new show by creators of The Illusionists, Tim Lawson (TML Enterprises) and Simon Painter (Painter Productions) – a reimagining of the Carroll classic. Anyone who has seen their shows knows that they put on amazing entertainment for the whole family. So that’s your school holiday entertainment sorted.
In taking audiences down the rabbit hole, figuratively and literally, Cirque Alice (April 10-22 at QPAC) will feature some of the best creatives and acrobatic acts from around the globe.
Talented soprano Layla Schillert (Australian Idol) will frock up in the title role of Alice, while one of the most in-demand comedic magicians in the world, Jeff Hobson, will lead audiences on a riotous adventure as The Mad Hatter. Hobson will return to Australia for the first time in a decade following his acclaimed performances in The Illusionists.
The unforgettable characters and antics of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are ripe for mind-bending acrobatic acts, with Cirque du Soleil show stealers The TT Boys as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum; Australia’s Got Talent finalists The Ramadhani Brothers appearing as the Red and White Knights; Oleg Tatarynov (also seen on Australia’s Got Talent) on aerial pole as The Butterfly; Alexandre Lane (Cirque Bon Bon) as The March Hare in the Cyr Wheel; and Maria Sarach (Cirque du Soleil) hand-balancing as The Queen of Hearts.
But it will be Schillert who we follow down the rabbit hole. We caught up with the teenager from Newcastle while she was in Brisbane trying on her new frock which is, yes, blue. Schillert, a graduate of The Hunter School of the Performing Arts in Newcastle, says she’s looking forward to going down that famous rabbit hole, following the White Rabbit, of course.
You might like
“It will be exciting,” she says. “I will be in a harness and I get to go underground.”
Exactly how that works is yet to be finessed. When Schillert returns for rehearsals she will know the mechanics of all that. She’s not an acrobat, she points out, although she’s keen to learn some new tricks. Schillert has been chosen for her acting and singing. She has shared the stage with the likes of Marina Prior, from whom she learnt a thing or two.
“I said to Marina Prior – I would like to be like you one day,” Schillert says. “She replied – no, you should just be like you.” Wise words that have stayed with her.
Schillert will have some beautiful songs to sing in the show.
“I’ll be singing some classics such as the Flower Duet from Lakme,” she says. “And I will be wearing this very cool amazing blue dress. I’m a fan of Alice. She has always been close to my heart, ever since I saw the animated movie.”
‘Layla is a dream … she’s perfect and so talented and so kind’
Schillert already has an impressive resume but this show, which will tour internationally, could be seen as her big break, which she deserves, according to one of the creative directors on the production, Brisbane’s Ash Jacks of Cirque Bon Bon fame.
“Layla is a dream’” Jacks says. “She’s perfect and so talented and so kind. The world premiere is in Brisbane and then there are plans to tour to New Zealand, Singapore and London.”
Subscribe for updates
Creative producer Simon Painter says the Cirque Alice line-up is the best cast of international acrobats to ever perform in Australia.
“When we were creating this show we were looking for two things – who is the very best in the world, and what acts best personify the characters from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” Painter says.
“The choice of The TT Boys as Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee was obvious, as they will bring this extremely energetic and quirky act that is known as Icarian Games, while The Queen of Hearts is a very strong domineering character who needs to do something extraordinary, like we’ll see with Maria Sarach’s hand-balancing act.”
There’s a new soundtrack by Norwegian composers Martin Raabe-Olsen and Marius Christiansen, with live accompaniment by violinist Darius Thompson straight from London’s West End.
The show will also features remixes of classical favourites such as Flight of the Bumblebee, the Flower Duet, Für Elise and others. QPAC’s Klais Grand Organ will also be featured like never before.
Ash Jacks and Kirsty Painter share duties as creative directors, with costumes by Angela Aaron and puppets by the Olivier Award-winning Unit 9. Choreography is by the award-winning Dane Bates, with local dancers Abby Lennon, Charlee Danilczak, Kaylee Smith, Gabriel Herrera and Lachlan Greenland luring the audience through Wonderland.
The two-hour spectacular will also feature William Estuart Mena Gonzales on the rola bola as The Dormouse; duo aerial act Maria Romanenko and Alexander Vakar as The Flamingos; Leandro Zeferino (La Soirée) and Anastasiia Vashenko (Gran Circo Mundial) as the roller-skating Royals; and Mongolian contortionists Tsetseglen Odgerel, Bayarmaa Ganbat, Baigalmaa Chuluun and Dolgorsuren Ganbold bamboozling as The Caterpillar.
TML Enterprises has created, produced and presented first-class musicals and family entertainment to more than 450 cities in 45 countries, smashing box-office records on Broadway, London and beyond, regularly doing so with creative producers Painter Productions.
Cirque Alice marks their eighth circus production together, many of which, including Le Noir (seen at QPAC in 2015) and Circus 1903, have enjoyed great international success with multiple sell-out seasons in London, New York and Vegas.
Co-presented by QPAC as part of the QPAC 40 program, Cirque Alice plays the Concert Hall, QPAC, April 10-22.