Brixton House and Poltergeist Theatre to stage new twist on Alice In Wonderland this Christmas

Brixton House and Poltergeist Theatre have announced all the details about their upcoming production of Alice In Wonderland.

The brand new retelling of Lewis Carroll’s all-time classic will make its premiere this Christmas at Brixton House from 1 – 31 December 2022.

Poltergeist’s Jack Bradfield directs and writes the new adaptation.

Set in Brixton Underground Station, rooted in the heart of the local community, this contemporary Christmas adventure is a thrilling remix that weaves storytelling, rap music and comic book visuals with the recognisable sights and sounds of Brixton. Audiences will be immersed in a theatre space which has been transformed into a strangely familiar Victoria line tube train.

Poltergeist’s Jack Bradfield, whose Ghost Walk, (co-produced with New Diorama), was a sell-out hit last Christmas, directs this fantastical tale devised from a series of workshops with actors, creatives and the team at Brixton House. This collaborative approach has resulted in a bold new show which didn’t need to venture far to find inspiration. This Alice encounters a motley crew of characters as she tries to find her way off the Victoria line back home to Brixton.

Nkhanise Phiri (NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE REP 20/21) makes her stage debut in the lead role as Alice; Toyin Ayedun-Alase, fresh from Dipo Baruwa-Etti’s The Clinic (ALMEIDA) and Comedy of Errors (RSC), plays the ‘Queen of the Line’ and multi-rolling parts alongside Khai Shaw (FRANTIC ASSEMBLY, SHAFTESBURY THEATRE, ORANGE TREE THEATRE, LYCEUM). Poltergeist company members, clown and cabaret artist Rosa Garland and writer, performer and poet Will Spence who both previously performed in Ghost Walk, Art Heist, and Lights Over Tesco Car Park also play a host of bizarre creatures and characters on the underground.

The creative team includes composer and sound designer Alice Boyd, set designer Shankho Chaudhuri, costume designer Debbie Duru, producer for Poltergeist Emily Davis, lyricist and rapperturg Gerel Falconer, production manager Ethan Hudson, illustrator Israel Kujore, lighting designer Rajiv Pattani, costume supervisor Isobel Pellow, company stage manager Chloe Ashley, deputy stage manager Chloe Astleford, assistant stage manager Gracie Adlington and dance captain Khai Shaw.

Jack Bradfield said: “We are thrilled to be remixing Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland for Brixton House this Christmas. For many, this will be their first trip back to the theatre—and for our young audience, it may be their first trip ever. So, with a super-team of actors and creatives, we’ve put together a non-stop thrill ride of an evening, full of laughs and love, for the whole family. Hop on the Victoria Line with Alice and hold on tight! Although audiences should be warned that they’ll never see the London Underground the same way again.”

Brixton House Artistic Director and Joint CEO Gbolahan Obisesan added: “I connected with Poltergeist’s work during lockdown and exploring creative conversations, Alice in Wonderland became a thrilling journey to take together. We are incredibly excited by this production. This is a very different Alice and we can’t wait to share this playful and enchanting interpretation which so wonderfully captures the spirit of the local community with Londoners, both young and old this December.”

For more information and tickets, visit brixtonhouse.co.uk