It was a pleasure to visit Gobo Theatre at the Drill Hall — a new company creating opportunities for young performers to begin paid work in the theatre industry. They may be short on cash but they have passion and enthusiasm by the bucketful. For their first tour they have chosen Alice by Laura Wade, a modern adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale of confusion poignantly reworked to explore the grieving process. In the midst of heartbreak Alice is visited by her recently deceased brother, who appears as the White Rabbit, and is taken on a soul-mending adventure to Wonderland. Famous scenes and characters are there but with clever twists that keep you guessing throughout. This adds an unexpected profundity to Carroll’s madcap world. If you like interesting ideas you will find this show satisfying. And quirky singing and dancing!

A cast of five playing 30 odd characters required fancy footwork — but they managed admirably. Director Amy Standish’s staging is clear and concise, each character clearly delineated. For instance, Adam Elliott was outstanding as the Mad Hatter, but was also a great King of Hearts. When he pairs up with Dean Lamb for Tweedledum and Tweedledee they were hilarious and touching. Dean Lamb was also the most bonkers Duchess I have seen and Suzy Nutt’s Mock Turtle the weirdest. All were funny but still captured the essential pathos. The chemistry between the White Rabbit and Alice (Reece Miller and Emmy Owen) was moving. It’s exciting to see talented youngsters at the beginning of their careers. I recommend you visit Alice’s world.

FOUR STARS Touring till February. For schedule and tickets go to gobotheatre.co.uk