YOU might have met an eccentric hare or a chap in a rather large top hat around Monmouth lately.

If you didn't pop round to the doctor for a cure for hallucinations you might have guessed they were in the cast of Alice in Wonderland, presented at the Savoy Theatre.

The performance, by an entirely local cast, was been adapted, designed and directed by David Evans, who stuck closely to the Lewis Carroll children's fantasy.

The story has a host of strange characters apart from the March Hare and the Mad Hatter – there's the Dormouse, the Cheshire Cat, the Gryphon and the Mock Turtle, let alone the Queen of Hearts and her court.

"This was an imaginative production appealing to all ages, with as much fun for adults as there is for children," said David Evans.

Alice was played by Gemma Nethersole, who last summer was taken on by the prestigious Elizabeth Shepherd actor's agency in London.

The original music was composed by 16-year-old Victoria Smith whose sights are firmly set on writing music for theatrical productions.

The Savoy is one of the oldest theatres in the region, with foundations laid in 1850. While it has been used recently for concerts this is the first full-length play to have been staged for more than 70 years.

Profits from the play are to help Monmouth Carnival, which in turn raises money for local and national charities.