the best ever.

If there was some initial disappointment in some quarters that "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and "Through the Looking Glass'' was not going to be a pantomime of the `hiss' and `boo' variety with men dressed up as `dames', it seems certain that this show will enchant everyone -- not just the kids -- and also make you laugh.

Based on the classic books by Lewis Carroll, this Bermuda version is directed by Davilia David, an Australian who went to London to become a well-known actress and who has been teaching at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for the past four years.

The original play was written by Clemence Dane and first performed in London in 1943 with Basil Colman playing the Cheshire Cat and a real-live Dame, the great actress Sybil Thorndike, playing the Queen of Hearts. Music for the play was composed by Richard Adinsell (of The Warsaw Concerto fame) but Marjorie Pettit, this year's musical director, says it has been a huge task to "update'' it for today's audience.

"It had to be virtually re-organised which took weeks and weeks, as I had to find appropriate music that would make it more relevant. So now we have everything from `rap' to Rossini!'' Adinsell's score, she says, is very evocative of the various animals that pop up in the play, but there are other sequences that just had to be changed.

"There was a fox-trot, for instance, and I don't think today's kids would even know what that is. So I've done some adaptations. I would like to thank Douglas Frith and James Burn for helping on this. It's been quite exciting to create, rather than just perform but I don't want to give the game away by explaining just what we have done!'' Overall, this show is going to be "a magical experience for everyone,'' says Mrs. Pettit. With 30 people in the cast and well over 100 involved backstage, with Ora Bainbridge as producer, this is one of the most ambitious Christmas shows ever staged.

"The sets are absolutely stunning, with about 20 different scene changes.

Elmer Midgett has done the most fantastic job.'' For Mr. Midgett, who is President of the Bermuda Society of Arts, this will be the first time he has tackled the specialised field of set design.

The equally lavish costumes have been designed and made here in Bermuda by Elizabeth Wingate and Barbara Jones.

There are also some spectacular dance sequences, choreographed by Jeanne Legere. "She has kept the movement fairly simple, which is good, because most of the people are not trained dancers. The dances are ingenious, though, really beautifully thought out,'' enthuses Mrs. Pettit.

Working with Davilia David has been an eye-opening experience for everyone connected with the show, says Mrs. Pettit.

"She has such a high level of professionalism, and has demanded a lot of professional discipline from the cast -- and that in itself is going to ensure a first-rate performance from them.'' From her point of view, she says, the cast has been "wonderful'' to work with.

"There are a lot of fine children in the show, but the greatest find, to me, was someone who was so good all-round, to take on the role of Alice. She has to be a good actress and dancer, with a good singing voice -- but Rebecca Faulkenberry is so good, she just soaks things up like a sponge, and people are throwing instructions at her right and left! It's a monumental role, as she is in almost every scene. We were very lucky indeed to have found someone with that kind of talent.'' There are very good performances, too, she says, by the rest of the cast.

"It's a big cast, and a lot of the talent is new. In many ways, that's a good thing. Edmund Robinson (who appeared as Sinbad two years ago) is the White Rabbit, and he's excellent!'' Also appearing is photographer Marshall DeCouto as the Mad Hatter, Kate Huntington as the White Queen, Jessica Figueredo as the Mouse, Debbie Mello as the Cheshire Cat and Katherine Butterfield at the March Hare. Well-known actress Teresa Sousa takes on the role of the Red Queen, with Scott Johnson as the Red King, while another stage veteran, Annette Gibbons is the Queen of Hearts.

Mrs. Pettit is most impressed by the way in which all the children are coping with intense rehearsals as well as school.

"They are working seven days a week and four hours on Sundays, so that's a very heavy load. On the other hand, I would say that the experience of working with Davilia David is an experience they would never get anywhere else and really makes all the sacrifice worthwhile! She works in such enormous detail.

She's already got that cast sparkling!'' `Alice' opens at the City Hall Theatre this Thursday, December 8 and runs through Saturday, December 17 with matinee performances on December 10 and 17.

Tickets at $16 ($13 for matinees) are on sale today at Daylesford between 5.30 and 7.30 p.m. and from tomorrow, December 7, at the City Hall box office between 6.30 and 7.30 p.m. and on matinee days from 2 to 3 p.m.