Alice in Wonderland, Shakespeare North Playhouse Review
Helen Carter in Alice in Wonderland. Photo by Patch Dolan
Written by Aimee for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Despite having the same name, Alice in Wonderland at Shakespeare North Playhouse is a sequel to the events in the original story. Written by Nick Lane and directed by Nathan Powell we follow Alice later in life and her return to Wonderland. After shopping for Christmas with her children Alice finds herself being lured back into Wonderland, where she discovers that all is not well. The evil Duchess is stealing everyone’s happy memories and Alice may just be the only person who can save them. Narrated by four playing cards and featuring beloved characters from the original story as well as some new additions, can Alice save Wonderland and still make it home in time for Christmas?
Starting with the positives let’s talk about the performances. All five of the performers are giving it their all on that stage, working to bring these characters to life and to deliver a magical Christmas show to families. Helen Carter is a charming and determined Alice as she fights her battles through Wonderland. Martha Godber is wonderful as she flips between playing Card Eight and the Duchess, with the latter allowing her some good pantomime villain moments throughout (especially towards the end). She also has a beautiful singing voice which is used sparsely across the show. Kelsie Gordon-Harrison (Card Seven) and Milton Lopes (Card Five) are a funny duo as they navigate their way through telling the story, often finding themselves portraying duos such as Alice’s children, or Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. For this performance, the role of Card Two was played by Tia Larsen who got to showcase her talent as she sped through quick changes to become a multitude of different characters. From her energetic and enthusiastic Card Two, to her sneaky French White Rabbit, she portrayed a great range of emotions throughout.
Kelise Gordon-Harrison and Milton Lopes in Alice in Wonderland. Photo by Patch Dolan
The set and costume design by Sascha Gilmour was another particular highlight. The set was constructed of boxes and various objects designed to look like children’s toys, such as building blocks, playing cards and dominoes. The costumes were both reminiscent of what we commonly associate with Alice in Wonderland story however they were made to be their own. Iconic visuals such as Alice’s blue dress remained similar but looked more modern, whilst other costumes such as the Mad Hatter were reconceptualised to appear more like a fairground style.
Unfortunately for me, the positives end there as the show has some issues, starting with the writing. Whilst the script has its small and particular funny moments I found that I spent a lot of the time being confused as to what was happening or where we were in the plot. As time went on some scenes started to feel redundant because of this which made the show less entertaining. The show also features some music, with compositions and lyrics by Simon Slater, however, it doesn’t often feel as if there’s much of a point in it being in the show. Whilst they may not be entirely badly written, it just feels as if they don’t have any purpose other than just to be there for the sake of it, which weakens completely any impact they may have had.
Every show has its positives and negatives but unfortunately for me on this occasion the negatives are too strong to be overlooked. Whilst it may not be for me, if this show sounds like something you or your family may enjoy, then you can catch Alice in Wonderland at the Shakespeare North Playhouse until Saturday 11th January 2025.
★★
