The musical play, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass this year replaces the traditional annual Christmas pantomime at the City Hall Theatre and is an adaption of Lewis Carroll's stories of a young girl's fantasy journey.

Bursting with curiosity, Alice, played by nine-year-old Bermuda High School student Rebecca Faulkenberry, encounters numerous colourful and bizarre characters along the way.

The cast of young local talent includes Mr. Marshall DeCouto as the Mad Hatter, Ms Annette Gibbons as Queen of Hearts and Ms Debbie Mello as the Cheshire Cat.

Director of the show is Australian-born Royal Academy of Dramatic Art teacher, Ms Davilia David, who convinced critics she could adapt the 19th century English story to appeal to present day Bermudian audiences.

To get the show ready on time, the cast of 32 characters have rehearsed every day for a month, said producer, Mrs. Ora Bainbridge.

Of equal importance she said, are behind-the-scenes workers who have constructed and painted a set designed by local artist and Bermuda Society of Arts president, Mr. Elmer Midgett.

"The set is enormous,'' said Mrs. Bainbridge, who has produced a number of plays and musicals locally. "The dimensions are so big that it could not be built in the BMDS studio so we had to go elsewhere.'' More than 200 people are involved in the production which opens on December 8 and runs through December 17 at the City Hall Theatre.

"The Christmas Show is expected to be extravagant and bigger and brighter than life. It is our biggest show of the year,'' said Mrs. Bainbridge. "It has become such a tradition that I think people would be disappointed if we didn't do it.'' She also admitted it was the most expensive production of the year with director's fees, theatre rent and costume and set material to pay for.

"There is an enormous amount of work involved. Everybody who helps does it voluntarily and comes in after work when everybody else is going home and putting their feet up,'' she said.

Friendship and a feeling of a job well done are the payoffs for those who put aside their free time for six weeks to get the show ready.

"Anyone can walk into this place not knowing a soul but if they just pick up a paintbrush, hammer or needle they will soon get to know people. For most of us it is the friendship that keeps us going,'' said Mrs. Bainbridge.

Musical director is Mrs. Marjorie Petit and costume designers, Ms Elizabeth Wingate and Mrs. Barbara Jones.

Tickets for the production cost $16 for evening performances which start at 7:30 p.m. and $14 for matinee performances on December 10 and 17 at 3 p.m..

They go on sale at the Bermuda Musical & Dramatic Society box office at the Daylesford Theatre from today until December 2 between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; December 3 from noon to 2 p.m. and December 5 and 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

From December 7 they may be purchased at the City Hall box office from Monday to Friday between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

and 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Reservations cannot be made by telephone. There will be no show on Sunday December 11.

WONDERKID -- Nine-year-old Rebecca Faulkenberry takes the star role in this year's Christmas Show of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass, opening at the City Hall Theatre on December 8.