Alice (13 Oct. 1965)

Written for THE WEDNESDAY PLAY (1964-70), which the BBC retitled PLAY FOR TODAY in 1970, ALICE has the earliest airdate (10/13/65) of the Potter productions to survive on tape. After THE ... See full summary »

Director:

Gareth Davies

Writers:

Lewis Carroll (novels), Dennis Potter

Stars:

George Baker, Deborah Watling, Rosalie Crutchley

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
George Baker	...	Rev Charles Lutwidge Dodson
Deborah Watling	...	Alice Liddell
Rosalie Crutchley	...	Mrs. Liddell
David Langton	...	Dean Liddell
Tessa Wyatt	...	Lorina Liddell
Maria Coyne	...	Edith Liddell
Maurice Hedley	...	Alexander MacMillan
John Moffatt	...	Mr. Stotman
Peter Bartlett	...	Dormouse
John Bailey	...	Mad Hatter
John Saunders	...	March Hare
Norman Scace	...	Mock Turtle
Frank Shelley	...	Gryphon
Colin Rix	...	Workman
Suzanne Vasey	...	Ellen

Storyline

Written for THE WEDNESDAY PLAY (1964-70), which the BBC retitled PLAY FOR TODAY in 1970, ALICE has the earliest airdate (10/13/65) of the Potter productions to survive on tape. After THE CONFIDENCE COURSE (1965), it's the second of the nine Potter plays seen on THE WEDNESDAY PLAY. In this look at Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), aka Lewis Carroll, Potter mixed biographical drama with a psychological profile to explore the roots of Dodgson's creativity. Dodgson tells stories to ten-year-old Alice Liddell, leading to recreations of scenes adapted from ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (1865), designed to resemble the original Sir John Tenniel illustrations.

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Plot Keywords:

based on novel | character name in title

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1965 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This play is also known as "The Life of Lewis Carroll".

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Connections

Followed by Dreamchild (1985)

User Reviews

Interesting portrait of Lewis Carroll

This intelligent, absorbing, and insightful BBC TV special centers on Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodson (an excellent performance by George Baker), an awkward and stuttering, but brilliant and creative academic who wrote the classic novel "Alice in Wonderland" under the alias Lewis Carroll. Dodson was inspired to write said book through his friendship with the lovely and radiant young girl Alice Liddell (a delightful and enchanting portrayal by the adorable Deborah Watling). Director Gareth Davies and writer Dennis Potter not only astutely peg how Dodson's eccentricity alternately charmed or irritated those who knew him, but also show how everyday events influenced his work. In addition, Davies and Potter vividly capture Dodson's tremendous leaping imagination and painfully acute sensitivity (he was vehemently opposed to change and was extremely uncomfortable with the fame his book brought him). Moreover, there's a few neat visualizations of key scenes from the book. Baker and Watling do sterling work in the lead roles; they receive fine support from Rosalie Crutchley as Alice's concerned mother Mrs. Liddell, David Langton as the self-absorbed Dean Liddell, Maria Coyne as Alice's bratty sister Edith, John Bailey as the batty Mad Hatter, and John Saunders as the melancholy Mock Turtle. Charles Parnall's sharp black and white cinematography boasts several stately fades and dissolves. Peter Green's spare, melodic score likewise does the trick. Worth a look for fans of Lewis Carroll's work.