The Circus

Circus Concepts

• Asylum inmates have circus counterparts that are forced to perform along with Alice.
• All of the circus performers represent some sort of mistreatment from the asylum e.g., starvation, head screws, lobotomies, leeches
• Some of the circus performers could look like skeletons to represent their mistreatment/ starvation in the asylum. These enemies would be weak due to malnutrition.
• There are circus “orderlies” working under the Tweedles-they obey every command of the Tweedles. They are sadist and enjoy to carry out the Tweedle's heinous plans.
• There are also good behavioral inmates who obey commands to avoid their own punishment
  • Good behavior inmates wear colorful clothes and “smiling” masks, they can be seen doing idle tasks such as juggling or spinning signs and speak about how great the circus is (In a forced tone) but when the masks come off they complain.
  • Well behaved inmates are not actually insane, they faked insanity to avoid harsh punishments for their crimes
    • Could be discussed in their dialogue
  • The good behavior inmates don’t attack Alice unless she is spotted by the Tweedles and they command the attack.
• Jugglers will throw things that explode at Alice and sign spinners will engage in melee combat.
• Circus performers that represent inmates with addiction, seen with needles stuck in them. They can be seen twitching violently and speaking to themselves. They have both means of ranged and melee attack such as pulling syringes from their bodies and throwing them at Alice, causing hallucinations.
• Isolated inmates could be represented by animal humanoids that are crazed, they would growl and foam at the mouth.
• Self mutilated enemy, maybe portrayed as a voodoo doll
• Circus enemies with electric attacks to symbolize electroshock therapy patients
• Alice is forced to perform in the circus by the Tweedles. The Tweedles mocking would gain intensity throughout the bit, rising to a crescendo, causing Alice to pass out. After Alice passes out there would be a cut scene of Alice brought before sanatorium doctors “performing” her displays of madness.