We tumbled down the rabbit hole and found ourselves in Riverside Studios, the temporary home of Alice in Wonderland before its transfer to Soho Theatre Walthamstow later this summer. I armed myself with my own little ‘Alice’ — my 10-year-old niece — as this production is perfect for ages 5+ (although it is advertised as suitable for all). I think this guidance is pretty sound, as Teddy (nearly 5) did start to get a little wriggly.
Adapted by Penny Farrow and directed and designed by Nate Bertone, this reimagining aims to bring audiences a vibrant retelling packed with surprises.
The show is visually impressive, with vivid sets and costumes, imaginative puppets and a wealth of inventive props ensuring a constant feast for the eyes from start to finish. There is a large cast and, whilst I initially wondered whether that was really necessary, the many characters and movement sequences make much use of the ensemble.
Ailsa Erskine leads the adventure as Alice, encountering Clare Brice’s White Rabbit, Lucinda Davidson’s Cheshire Cat, Honey Gabriel’s Hatter, Sean Garratt’s Caterpillar/Dormouse and Tom Giles’ Hare, alongside Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, played by Skye Hallam and Sophie Wilkinson. While the performances are energetic and committed, I sometimes found myself not quite getting fully onside with the many characters we met along the way.
The performance that really stands out is Daniel Page’s Queen of Hearts. Up to this point, I’d felt somewhat detached from the energy of the piece, but Page’s Queen of Hearts is not to be ignored! Played with the broad comic flair of a pantomime dame, the Queen brings a welcome burst of connection, personality and humour, creating the production’s most memorable character and injecting the show with a sense of fun.
There are lots of moments of curious invention throughout, and the piece does not shy away from the nonsense of Wonderland. Though for me the storytelling never quite matched the strength of some of the production’s visual ideas, there is no denying the imagination and effort that has gone into bringing this strange and colourful world to life.
This is a piece for children, so I am always keen to defer to the experience of my young companions. Having tasked my niece with writing her own review of the show, I was pleased to find we were more or less on the same page:
“The costumes were very good and the Queen of Hearts was especially good.”
You have two opportunities to catch Alice in Wonderland this summer: Riverside Studios, Hammersmith (16 July–2 August 2026) and Soho Theatre Walthamstow (5–16 August 2026). We received complimentary tickets to the press performance.