Step inside rehearsals for Christmas at the Sherman with Alice: Return to Wonderland

With just a few weeks until Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre open their Christmas show, Alice: Return to Wonderland, the team have been hard at work perfecting the performance.

Written and directed by Hannah McPake, Return to Wonderland is a re-imagining of the second Alice book, ‘Through the Looking Glass’.

The Sherman production features many of the beloved characters from Alice in Wonderland, but it is a stand-alone play and can be enjoyed in its own right.

On Christmas Eve, 1947, grown-up Alice is now a town planner working for the City of Cardiff. Just as she prepares for work on her latest building project to begin, she is interrupted by the sudden arrival of an old, fluffy friend.

Soon Alice will have leave Cardiff behind and return to Wonderland in a race against time to save her daughter Carys from the clutches of the evil Red Queen.

Neither a pantomime nor a musical, Return to Wonderland is a play where music plays a big part. The cast will act, sing and play a range of musical instruments live on stage to help tell the story.

The songs and music are written by Lucy Rivers who has memorably composed for so many Christmas at the Sherman shows including A Christmas Carol, Tales of the Brothers Grimm and Alice in Wonderland.

Alice: Return to Wonderland’s cast is full of familiar Sherman faces. Playing the title role will be Elian Mai West, who also played Alice in the Sherman’s 2018 production of Alice in Wonderland.

Joining Elian in the cast will be Mari Fflur (Hansel and Gretel/Hansel a Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood/Yr Hugan Fach Goch) as Carys; Caitlin Lavagna (Housemates); Emily Ivana Hawkins (Housemates, A Christmas Carol – 2024 production); Oliver Wood (A Christmas Carol – 2024 production); Joseph Tweedale (The Borrowers, Alice in Wonderland) and making his Sherman debut, Max James.

Keiron Self will also his 11th appearance in a Sherman Christmas show.

The show has been developed to be enjoyed by everyone aged 7+. Whilst younger children are welcome to attend, the performance is two hours long with lots of special effects, noises and music.

For younger family members, the Sherman’s Studio will be showing The Frog Prince / Biwti a Brogs, more suited to children aged 3-6.

Tickets

£16 – £32. Under 25s Half Price. Concessions £2 off.

Access performances

Tue 2 Dec – 7pm BSL interpreted
Sat 6 Dec – 2pm BSL interpreted & Relaxed Performance
Fri 19 Dec – 6:30pm BSL interpreted & Captioned
Sat 13 Dec – 2pm Captioned
Sat 13 Dec – 7pm Audio Described

More information and tickets are available here.