Catch him if you can _{by Tanya Piejus}

Recently arrived from Türkiye and sporting a luxurious black moustache, Yiğit Kaan Şahbazoğlu will play the White Rabbit in an Alice in Wonderland-inspired musical. KAT Theatre’s latest production is no ordinary stage version of the beloved children’s book by Lewis Carroll, director Mary Collie-Holmes says. “It was written in the 1980s and starts with animals being denied entry to Wonderland by grumpy computers. Then it takes a series of scenes from both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and recreates them in song. All your favourite characters are there from the Caterpillar to the Queen of Hearts and Cheshire Cat, but it’s an unconventional way of retelling these classic stories.”

Having auditioned for the fez-wearing, hookah-smoking Caterpillar, Şahbazoğlu is delighted to have been cast instead as the White Rabbit and is enjoying the physical energy of playing the part. “This is my acting forte and what I’ve focused on so far in school and community theatre in Türkiye for the last 20 years. Almost every year I was part of a production, but this is my first time trying my skills at acting in English.”

He can also relate to the White Rabbit’s tardiness. “His dilemma between focusing on his duties and relaxing reflects my life, always booking so many things on my schedule then resting too much and being late!”

With a mixed cast of experienced adult and teenage actor-singers, and young actors and dancers, Alice – A Musical is the kind of cross-generational production that KAT Theatre excels in. Catch the White Rabbit if you can these school holidays from the 18^th to the 27^th of July at Cochran Hall, Khandallah in this tuneful take on an old classic for all ages.