In “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” Roald Dahl wrote, “A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.” By that standard, Lewis Carroll may be one of the wisest writers of all time. Though he’s best known for his stories about Alice and her adventures in Wonderland, which are quite fanciful, Carroll is also regarded as the master of nonsense verse. Full of outrageous situations and characters, made-up words, and largely impervious to interpretation, Carroll’s poems have delighted generations of readers.
Carroll, in other words, was serious about being silly. And Pontine Theatre in Portsmouth is equally serious about preserving Carroll’s playfulness. Pontine’s latest production, “The Hunting of the Snark and Other Nonsense,” celebrates Carroll’s poetry, all while highlighting the original context in which he wrote the poems and, at the same time, making the poems immersive and interactive for a modern audience.
M. Marguerite Mathews and Greg Gathers, Pontine’s co-artistic directors and the performers behind “The Hunting of the Snark,” take three of Carroll’s poems — “Jabberwocky,” “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” and “The Hunting of the Snark (An Agony in 8 Fits)” — and stage them using traditional Victorian toy theater, puppets, and a multimedia display. Victorian storytelling relied heavily on verse, an art that has long since faded, its wit wilted away. But Mathews and Gathers have recreated that magic, embracing Carroll’s sense of fun and adventure to spin a delightful, captivating yarn.
The show begins with “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” Carroll’s poem about the eponymous pair who, while walking on a beach, convince oyster after oyster (each wearing shoes, despite not having feet) to follow them. The two end up eating all the oysters. Gathers and Mathews stage the poem using a simple toy theater, a throwback to popular parlor entertainment of the 19th century. Unlike traditional toy theater, Gathers modernized his set by removing the proscenium stage walls, giving the audience permission to decide where the world of the “Walrus and the Carpenter” begins and ends. Every set piece and puppet is undeniably beautiful. Gathers, dressed in a subdued brown and white striped tailcoat and trousers, skillfully articulates a variety of distinct voices for each immobile character. Gathers’ lively nature augments the personality and identity of the characters. Animation is injected through vocal prowess.
Greg Gathers performs in a scene from The Walrus and the Carpenter.
“Jabberwocky” takes an entirely different turn. Presented with the melancholy tones of composer Edvard Grieg, “Jabberwocky” is a video performance projected onto a screen. The piece has no narration, but instead uses words and photos on screen. Accompanied by beautiful imagery, some may find themselves drawn in by the quiet piano, so much that they understand the poem to greater degrees. However, others might get lost in the monotone color palette, and thus, lost in the verse.
“The Hunting of the Snark” is the production’s final part. Much like “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” “The Snark” is set on a larger toy stage, with an open proscenium and multiple slots for set pieces to create levels and depth. In this final vignette, Mathews joins Gathers onstage. “The Snark” pulls the best elements from the vignettes that came before it. The music, a collection of sea shanties, marries with the set pieces, which move from ocean to seaside to island, creating a believable seascape. The narrators of our story are consistently vocal, but just as in “The Walrus and the Carpenter,” they seem to melt into the background.
“The Snark,” about a crew of 10 (all of whom have an occupation that starts with the letter B) hunting a mythical beast, is one of Carroll’s most ridiculous tales. Gathers and Mathews make the story immersive, gleefully pulling the audience along with them. There’s no confusion, just childlike whimsy. “What is a Snark? What is it for?” the poem asks, but it’s a question without an answer. Instead, it’s fuel for the story to keep going — and to keep getting more absurd.
Though Carroll’s works are open to interpretation, it’s perhaps best to simply appreciate them, to enjoy the fun without promise of resolution or understanding. Pontine’s production makes that clear. Though ostensibly for children, “The Hunting of the Snark” is a show that rewards adults, particularly those with a vivid imagination and a deep sense of silliness — or, as Dahl might say, the wisest among us.
“The Hunting of the Snark” runs through May 10 at West End Studio Theatre, 959 Islington St., Portsmouth, with shows Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $24, available at pontine.org.
Top of page: Greg Gathers and M. Marguerite Mathews in The Hunting of the Snark.