Interview: Alice Takes A Bold and Lyrical Journey to South London

Tatenda Matsvai on playing Alice in Brixton House’s Alice in Wonderland

Stepping into the shoes of one of literature’s most beloved characters, Tatenda Matsvai takes on the role of Alice in Brixton House’s vibrant reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. This bold and inventive production, which fuses rap, spoken word, and theatrical storytelling, brings a fresh perspective to a timeless tale while celebrating the energy and diversity of South London.

As the show returns to Brixton House, Tatenda shares their excitement about leading audiences on this imaginative journey, their creative process, and what it means to bring Alice’s story to life in the heart of Brixton.

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How does it feel to be stepping into the shoes of Alice, as this hit production returns to Brixton House, and what drew you to the role? 

It is an honour to step into the shoes of Alice. I was lucky enough to catch the original cast in 2022, and truly fell in love with the world Alice falls into. I think when you love something so much there’s always the worry that you’re gonna mess it up. But I think that worry subsided fast and turned into a North Star of adoration where I want the show to be as fun and joyful as the previous addition while still being truly and uniquely our own take on it, and my own take on Alice too.

In this production, rap music and the script are woven together, how have you found approaching this as someone who regularly works with spoken word poetry in your own creative practice? 

I’ve loved working with the bars Gerel and Jack have peppered the script with. I think rap is not too far off spoken word but far enough that we’ve had work to do, especially with figuring out where in the tightly packed puns and rhythms of what’s written to take a breath. When I’m reading my poetry I usually work with sound, but that’s like atmospheric melodic live looping, there’s lots of space to breathe into and fall out of fixed rhythms. But in this production the beat is fixed and if you miss it, well you miss the pocket. It’s definitely made me respect the rigour rap requires to pull off a powerful performance flawlessly.

How important is it to you as an artist that productions like this one can weave different artistic mediums together?  

I think collaboration and experimentation will keep the ecosystem of live performance alive. It’s brilliant to be in such a creatively collaborative room, on a production that feels like an equal result of all of its parts. In that there’s something for anyone who loves stage design, those who love music and sound and those who love theatre and how playfully text can show up on stage. 

Do you have a relationship with the original source text, and how does it feel to re-interpret such an iconic role?

I won’t lie to you, I didn’t read Alice in wonderland when I was a kid, I vaguely remember a filmed version playing in the distance while I fell asleep at my aunties house once so I wouldn’t say I really had any relationship with it. But when I watched the first production of Alice I was actually so inspired to read it. And I guess that’s the power of re-interpretation. Something that was once seemingly irrelevant to you or unimportant can seem to speak to you and the lived experiences of people you grew up with. 

How important is it to you to celebrate London in this show, and showcase the sights and sounds of Brixton especially? 

As someone who grew up and still lives in South London, it’s a privilege to be in a show that shouts out an area that’s shaped who you are. It feels like coming home.  I have a big love for south London and so does the show. To perform it at Brixton House is sweeter still especially because we’ll be sharing it with young people around the same age as Alice who live in her area, it’ll be so wonderful to see how they connect with her and how she sees where they’re from.

Why should audiences come and see Alice in Wonderland and what do you hope they will get out of seeing this production? 

You should come to see Alice in Wonderland because it is a bundle of fun. This energetic lyrical interpretation of a cult classic breathes a needed life into Alice’s adventures that will affect audiences as young as 4 to adults as old as 80. It’s human, tender and just the perfect amount of fantastical for the festive season. 

I hope audiences leave with an understanding of how powerful it is to be brave and take a leap of faith, be that breaking the sacred rules of the underground to tell someone their shoes are nice, or taking some annual leave. This show is a rallying cry to do the scary thing because maybe it’ll be the exact thing you’ve needed to shake up your life.

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Alice in Wonderland plays at Brixton House until 4th January. Further information and booking are available here.

Director & Lead Writer: Jack Bradfield 
Lyricist & Rapperturg: Gerel Falconer 

A Brixton House and Poltergeist Production

Photo Credit @ Helen Murray