GET tickets for this it's tremendous fun. The teenagers can go too, they'll love it.
A rollicking good laugh with occasional dark interludes
Director Rufus Norris, composer Damon Albarn and 'book and lyrics' writer, Moira Buffini, have woven the traditional and familiar imagery of 'Alice in Wonderland' with a modern morality tale of digital addiction and social media bedlam.
The effect is often magical as a strong cast bask in virtuoso staging to deliver a memorable Manchester International Festival moment. Yes, the plot can be a little predictable, but the audience lapped it up and there was an extended standing ovation.
The storyline revolves around mixed-race Ally (Lois Chimimba). She comes from a home broken by the discovery of internet addiction, she has a tough school life and a difficult relationship with her mother. Obviously this being 2015 she decides to escape by disappearing down a digital rabbit hole to wonder.land where she creates an avatar, the blond 'princess' Alice.
The musical covers subjects such as bullying, sexuality and all manner of 'finding' oneself issues with a light touch and constant music. Sumptuous effects come as standard. The graphically realised Cheshire cat is a marvel while watching various Alices collecting gold coins is tremendous fun.
Also tremendously good are the performances of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, a model of synchronised brattishness. Stealing the show with her Red Queen/Ms Manxome is Anna Francolini. Her performance, especially before the interval, is worth the ticket price alone. Enyi Okoronkwo, as Ally's friend, Luke, is coolly superb with great timing.
There are some laugh out loud lines - I won't ruin the one about dyslexia, yes dyslexia - and some nods to the Lewis Carroll original, such as when Ally mispronounces the word 'little' in saying, "A year ago when I was Liddell'. Alice Liddell, the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church College was the inspiration for Alice in the book.
The set design by Rae Smith and the lighting from Paule Constable keeps the eyes rivetted on the stage. Albarn's music is enjoyable throughout rather than shot-through with memorable sing-along moments. During his Blur days Albarn's work often seemed just a hair's breadth away from becoming a Cockney knees-up in an East End boozer. Here it frequently becomes just that with a bit of 'Oliver' thrown in for good measure.
In the press bar at the interval some of the critics were muttering their fave word, 'derivative'. Sod them. wonder.land is a ball - despite a morally dubious ending as regards poor Ms Manxome. It's a rollicking good laugh with occasional dark interludes and the sort of appeal you expect to see enjoying a good run on the West End.
After previous Manchester International Festivals this coda to Albarn's professional time with the departing director, Alex Poots, is popularist and none the worse for it. It isn't as ethereal and energetic as 'Monkey' and it's not as engagingly odd as 'Dr Dee', but it's uplifting and a fine start to the 2015 event.
wonder.land is at The Palace Theatre until 12 July. BOOK TICKETS here. Pictures from MIF by Brinkhoff/Moegenburg.
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