Alice in Wonderland
Brixton House, London

AFTER a modern-day Alice argues with her mum at Brixton underground station, the two are separated when she jumps on a train just as the doors are closing.

Unrepentant at first, Alice soon changes her tune as she finds out she’s not on a real journey but in a jangly Tube dreamland, where a host of strange figures are trapped on a never-ending trip to nowhere. 

An amusing Christmas show – but not a pantomime – this version of Lewis Carroll’s surreal tale, written by Jack Bradfield and revived by the Poltergeist company, brings everything up to date while paying homage to the original in various ways.

There are newly devised Tube-relevant weirdos, including a pigeon and a rat, but the Cheshire Cat is there, as is the Turtle (cleverly played as a wandering bag lady), the White Rabbit, a Jabberwocky and the Queen, piloting them all on their aimless travels.

Despite the nonsense, a more serious theme emerges as we begin to understand that the Queen and Alice’s mum might be more or less the same person. With an underlying rap vibe – Alice has privately been composing verse that eventually comes into the open – there’s also a musical aspect to the production.

Tatenda Matsvai as Alice and Cheyenne Dasri as the Queen/mother lead a strong cast, with Gavin Dunn especially impressive in animalistic support as Rabbit, Pigeon and Rat. 

The jokes are as accessible to 11-year-olds as they are to adults in what is a cheery, lighthearted family play with a plot akin to a video game – perhaps not surprising given that Bradfield has turned his hand to that genre too. 

Unlike Carroll’s original, none of the characters are especially obtuse or nightmarish, and there’s a cuddlier feel even to the most spiky individuals, with the Jabberwocky and the Queen both revealing their softer sides. 

The necessarily linear Tube carriage set imposes limitations that are not always overcome, especially in terms of how the various personalities are able to hide from each other so successfully when needed. But then the whole scenario requires a suspension of belief, so maybe it’s better just to embrace the chaos and enjoy the creepy sensation of being down a London Underground rabbit hole. 

Runs until January 4 2025: Box Office: 020 7582 7680, brixtonhouse.co.uk