Step Through the Looking Glass with 'Alice's Adventures Underground' Experience

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s classic novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, critically-acclaimed theatre company Les Enfants Terribles (The Vaudevillains; The Trench) will bring Wonderland to the capital with Alice’s Adventures Underground, in an adaptation by Oliver Lansley and Anthony Spargo. Producer Emma Brünjes (Meow Meow: Wonderground; Secret Cinema: Miller’s Crossing) joins the team to bring this ambitious theatrical experience to life on a grand scale. Leading agency Creature of London are also on board as associate producers.  

Open from mid-April 2015, and staged in the atmospheric Vaults underneath Waterloo station, Alice’s Adventures Underground will create Wonderland as a fully formed world that blends storytelling, live music, puppetry, circus and spectacle. Invited down the rabbit hole in intimate groups of 56, each audience member will be presented with a choice of EAT ME or DRINK ME, which will affect the way their show will unfold. 

Three years in the planning, and with a cast of more than 30, Alice’s Adventures Underground will also feature:

- Over 20 individual rooms 

- A tea table of gigantic proportions, fit for a party of 60

- An original soundtrack

- Three bars, including a VIP bar for premium ticket holders 

- Plus – projections and potions, a dizzying rabbit hole, a hazy Caterpillar lair, Cheshire cats, a terrifying Queen of Hearts, a mysteriously absent Alice and enough tea to make anyone go mad

After the show, audiences are encouraged to remain in the ‘Queen’s Garden’ bar until the small hours, with a full menu of food and drink available. The bar will form a lively part of the Wonderland world, with its own cast and installations, including a hedge maze and flamingo croquet.

To complement the show and celebrate the massive influence of Lewis Carroll’s iconic book, Alice’s Adventures Underground will also host a variety of companies and speakers to present The Wonderland Sessions, a multi-art exploration of the work and performances inspired by the original book. Each week a different partner will present an exclusive event from inside Wonderland, with performances ranging from readings and screenings to dance pieces and live music. The full line-up will be announced in early 2015.

Oliver Lansley, Founder and Artistic Director of Les Enfants Terribles, says: “What stands out to me when reading Alice is the desire to experience Wonderland for yourself – this is what our show offers. This Wonderland will deliver a truly otherworldly adventure that is unique to every audience member, combining complete sensory immersion with the visual storytelling and stage-craft that remain at the heart of Les Enfants Terribles.” 

Producer Emma Brünjes says: “Les Enfants Terribles are the perfect company to bring Wonderland to life. We are inspired by the current trends in immersive theatre, but want to take this opportunity to explore new ways to blend immersion with storytelling. Fusing a strong narrative with a rich, detailed world will ensure our audience truly experience Alice’s journey for themselves.”