Wonderland in Alice – Theatre Peckham

My first review for North West End UK came courtesy of The Bone Sparrow at Theatre Peckham, so the venue has a special place in my heart. That particular work made me cry my eyes out in a way that no other piece of art has affected me. Theatre Peckham continues to produce challenging, diverse and unique theatre in a slick space whose events attract young, lively and local support. The future of theatre can be found in such spaces, so it’s always a buzz to see them thriving. 

It’s a testament to their varied programming that Wonderland in Alice lands on their SE5 stage and in this new adaption of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland asks a question, who would we be if we were free from the binary constraints of gender? It’s an indication of the current political climate that even proposing this query is likely to provoke Twitter outrage and a furious statement from the Home Secretary. 

The truth of the matter is that the same questions were asked by Virginia Woolf in Orlando and by Carroll in his seminal book for children. If the Victorians could handle it without a vicious culture war, why are we so vexed in 2023? It’s a curious turn of events, as Alice might say, when faced with the fuss over pronouns and a vicious media backlash against the trans community. 

Wonderland in Alice is the creation of CTC Dance Company and explores the much-loved text through movement, spoken word and musical composition. It works best when they go bold with their ideas and run with the creative concept. When Alice (Kira Nichols) meets Queen (El Haq Latief), it’s reminiscent of a white novice facing the ruling queen of Harlem vogueing ball. Indeed, the ensemble vogue their way through this scene with energetic dips and duck walks. Latief is excellent, bringing sharp choreography and regal disdain in equal measure. 

Musical Director Gary Gerry played the keyboards live throughout the production, which is never going to match an orchestra in the pit, but it was a nice nod to keeping it real and in the moment. Wonderland in Alice is less confrontational on the stage than it may appear on paper and that’s a blessing or a missed trick, depending on your perspective. You could take a bunch of kids to this show, and they wouldn’t notice anything queer or subversive about it, but if their parents read the program, they might be outside with placards and pitchforks. We live in very weird times.

Artistic Director Christopher Tendai funded this show himself and pulled the entire production together in two weeks, so it’s an impressive debut. Wonderland in Alice might benefit from grabbing a bit more from club culture and exploring a wider range of dance genres. Let’s face it, if Alice wanted to explore gender identity, mental health issues, odd fashions and wild characters in the 21st century, her ideal rabbit hole would be a rave in Hackney. 

Playing until 22th April, https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/

Reviewer: Stewart Who?

Reviewed: 11th April 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★