Incredible dance in a complete show that I readily recommend to literally anyone.
Jasmin Vardimon is an award-winning choreographer and her newest show is a reimagining of the classic story of Alice in Wonderland. This production was first produced in VR in early 2022 (which I am fascinated by the idea of), and has now been brought to the stage.
I have to start out this review by saying, I had a wonderful time with this show. I am not terribly experienced with the world of dance, but with a production of this quality this did not matter at all. So much about it was so impressive that I think anyone with any interest in performance would be equally as enraptured. The synchronicity between the performers alone was outstanding. At one point I really believed they had put a mirror on stage and we were seeing a true reflection of Alice in a mirror. It was only when they interacted with each other that I realised it was a different performer opposite.
This show tells the story of Alice in Wonderland, and telling such a well known story I think is very advantageous, as the audience already has a point of reference as to what you’re trying to convey. Even as someone who hasn’t read nor seen a screen adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, I was still able to recognise a number of key beats such as the roles of Cheshire Cat and the Queen of Hearts. There are some solo dances, paired dances, and larger group numbers with all 7 performers on stage. My favourite were definitely the group performances as it gave you so much to look at and enjoy, and again I was impressed by how in sync the performers were with each other.
A special shout out has to go to Donny Beau Ferris and Sean Moss who were excellent throughout, but I particularly enjoyed their number as Tweedledum and Tweedledee near the beginning of the show. The athleticism alone was a wonder to behold.
The rest of the company, Sabrina Gargano, Evie Hart, David Lloyd, Hobie Schouppe and Juliette Tellier, were also brilliant and I cannot fault a single part of any of their performances.
My only criticism of this show has to do with the final 10-15 minutes. You can really start to feel the show winding down a bit and I did find myself missing the whimsy and theatrics of earlier in the show. The political messaging at the end (complete with Boris Johnson-esque blonde wig) also seemed a bit out of place. While the message was fine, it felt a bit tacked on to the end. Perhaps I had missed the political themes and references earlier in the show, but it felt quite jarring to me.
As well as brilliant performances by the entire cast, I have to highlight the incredibly impressive lighting and projection design by Andrew Crofts. The blending of shadows, projection, and light on stage was done seamlessly and really helped to bring you into this world.
From both a technical and entertainment standpoint, this show is fantastic and I would gladly recommend it to absolutely everyone. If you love dance shows, then this will be perfect for you but even if you do not, there is plenty in this show to keep you entertained and whisk you away to wonderland. I was smiling from ear to ear (looking quite frightening I’m sure) throughout this show and it is something that I want as many people to experience as possible.
ALiCE had 2 performances at Sadler’s Wells Theatre on 28th and 29th October and will now be going on tour with dates already announced in Ashford and Ipswich with more to come.