Lewis Carroll originally wrote the tale of Alice in Wonderland for a girl called Alice and painted a world in which anything beyond anything her wildest imagination could dream up. This particular stage interpretation not only channels the spirit of Lewis Carroll’s storytelling style, but for the first time in a long time, theatrically in my own experience, has created an experience that is the closest in authenticity to the text seen in a very long time. Will Alice make her way back home? Or will she be trapped in Wonderland forever?
When it comes to creating a show for families of all ages, sometimes cuts do have to be made in order to keep children’s attention for an hour. So whilst it was sad to not see characters like The Duchess, Cook and Mock Turtle, what this production has achieved is a wonderful experience that not only stuck to the main original story, but delivered a show that had well-placed modern references, as well as integrated elements of the story that may well have been more difficult to stage into the text. This was done in a way that it all added to the madness of Wonderland by telling stories within a story, as well as paying tribute to the traditional costumes, as well as including subtle references to the original Disney version that fused Through The Looking Glass characters with Wonderland and of course elements of Tim Burton were thrown in through the darker moments that evolved.
Every single character was well-rounded and developed, alongside a beautifully designed set, well-crafted puppetry and lighting arrangement. Using this dynamic combination brought the production to life and made Wonderland come alive in a way that would stay in everyone’s minds in the best possible way for a long time. One highlight included Ailsa Erskine’s titular Alice, who, unlike previous productions I’ve seen, actually played Alice as she is depicted in the book. A seven-year-old girl with a lot of outspoken stubbornness and energy that was enough to connect in a realistic way with the children present. Erskine created an Alice who was delightfully petulant and full of childish energy that lit up the theatre in a way that made her extremely relatable and charming through her temper tantrums and humorous outbursts.
Sean Garratt’s Cheshire Cat oozed a mysterious presence as we saw the head being removed from the body so it floated in the air as in the book, as well as delivered some delightful cheeky humour as he added to the madness. Garratt had the ideal balance of playfulness and sultry cat-like appeal, which in turn made the puppet have a completely different life of its own. It can be easy to just make the Cheshire Cat completely human, but in order to create the world on offer here, the puppet version was the perfect choice to play with various levels of comedy and mystery to add a new dynamic level of anticipation as to what the Cat would do next.
The real scene stealer, however, was my personal favourite character in the story. The Queen of Hearts herself, played by Daniel Page. This character is the ultimate villain in any children’s book, so it was a delight to see Page unleash an extremely dark streak in this iconic role, with a unique fusion of a spoilt kid who loved getting their own way, as well as a performance that was extremely reminiscent of Miss Trunchbull from Roald Dahl’s Matilda. This was a difficult character to get right, as it is possible to go completely over the top and lose the power the Queen holds over Wonderland. Page, however, delivered a striking role that used a good mixture of stillness, quiet plotting and slow controlled explosions of anger that added an extra element of danger and grotesque fun to the show.
Alice in Wonderland is a colourful, vibrant and yet dark world that, if Lewis Carroll were alive today, he would be extremely impressed by this version. Catch it before the world of Wonderland disappears into the ether.
Review by Sascha Cooper
Join Alice on her unforgettable adventure as she shrinks and grows, meeting peculiar characters at every turn.
Who will she encounter next?
Will the mischievous Cheshire Cat guide her through the madness? Can the hurried White Rabbit help her uncover the secrets she’s searching for?
And could the Queen of Hearts cause her to truly lose her head?
Cast:
Ailsa Erskine – Alice
Clare Brice – White Rabbit
Sean Garratt – Cheshire Cat
Honey Gabriel – Hatter
Tom Giles – Caterpillar/Dormouse
Thomas Hewitt – Hare
Skye Hallam – Tweedle Dee
Thomas Hewitt – Cover Hatter
Grace Hussey-Burd – Cover Tweedle Dum & Dee
Daniel Page – Queen of Hearts
Sophie Wilkinson – Tweedle Dum
Creatives:
Penny Farrow – Writer
Nate Bertone – Director & Designer
Eva Sampson – Co-Director & Movement Director
Sam Rapley – Composer
Jack Weir – Lighting Designer
Ella Wahlström – Sound Designer
Chris Barlow – Puppet Designer
Nicholas Hockaday – Casting Director
Phil Scott – Additional Material
Ethan Walker – Broadway Haus
Producer – Nate Bertone
Producer, Executive Producer & General Manager – DEM Productions
Co-Producers – Mackay & Zhao, Hunter Regian, Crane & Meyers, Haman & Stark O’Donnell and North Shore Four
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Soho Theatre Walthamstow
5 to 16 August 2026
