LEWIS Carroll’s story of Alice in Wonderland is intended to subvert your expectations, but when our heroine stumbles into Blunderland instead, there are even more twists and turns on the way down the rabbit hole.

A packed audience at Mere had a second chance to enjoy Eric Kincaid and Chris Wood’s version of the famous tale, 17 years after Mere Amateur Dramatic Society first performed it, and in memory of the remarkable Eric, the original Dame Duchess Doodle as well as co-author, who died last year at the age of 92.

A cast of 27 packed the stage for this revival, directed by Chris Wood, who also made use of the latest tech to beam himself (in the guise of the Cheshire Cat) to the top of a stage-side tree. The Queen of Hearts kicks off the proceedings with a newly written prologue nodding even-handedly to current politics and news, and ending with a barnstorming version of the big anthem from The Greatest Showman. Well done, Juliet Booth.

A large contingent of performers crossed the county boundary from Shaftesbury for this production, notably Anthony Atwood as the hilariously fey Mad March Hair, Jennifer and Tim Trenchard as the (good) Queen of Diamonds and the melodious Lord High Executioner, not to mention the droll undertaker.

Of course the central role is Alice, played with great confidence and attack by 16-year-old Sophie Miller, and ably supported by her cat (Sue Tabor). Les Manwaring is a terrific Dame, and Matt Glide and Ben Cassidy are in danger of stealing more than the tarts as Tweedles Dum and Dee.

Everyone in the company, from the Playing Cards to the White Rabbit (Mark Grant) and Jack of Hearts (Babs Stanzl), and Kylie Wicks’ charming Dormouse, gets right into the spirit of this clever, funny and hugely entertaining show, which continues until Saturday. Eric would be delighted!

GP-W