Review: Alice In Wonderland, Theatre Peckham 

We begin on Christmas Eve, in the frantic hustle of last-minute shopping. Alice and her older brother Stefan are out together, but they might as well be worlds apart. Alice’s near-constant attachment to her phone creates an immediate fault line between them: a five-year age gap that feels more like a cultural and digital chasm. From the outset, Geoff Aymer’s script signals its intent—rooted firmly in the language, rhythms, and vernacular of young people, with a distinctly South London flavour, woven together with the global shorthand of social media. It’s language the young audience instantly recognises and enjoys, and there’s a clear sense of craft in the play’s rhythm, tone, and wordplay.  

This is a play about communication—and miscommunication. About how difficult it can be to listen across difference, whether generational, cultural, or emotional. Alice’s journey into Wonderland is less about spectacle and more about learning to talk, listen, and decode the poetic riddles and strange languages of the people she encounters, leading to a growth in empathy and understanding of others, helping Alice to grow. 

The design is deliberately simple and makeshift, with a black-and-white chequered floor foreshadowing the final chess match to come. Projections do much of the work in establishing location, alongside physical montage-style scenes—notably the opening image of shop windows filled with lifelike mannequins dressed in Christmas glitz, tempting passers-by inside. It’s effective without being overblown. 

Wonderland itself is populated by a recognisably Peckham cast of characters: an evangelical preacher, a hyper-positive trendy Zumba instructor, a bling-heavy market trader, and a casually racist Daily Mail-reading Duchess who mistakes Alice for an agency worker and laments the loss of “traditions”. The show isn’t afraid to call things out, and that directness is refreshing. Everything is underscored by ensemble songs that shift between gospel, rap, hip hop, and full-blown pop anthem. 

The Alice in Wonderland narrative is followed loosely: potions that shrink and stretch, floods of tears, riddles, the Caterpillar, and a Queen of Hearts who does indeed dispatch two unfortunate rose-painters with a brutal offstage sound effect. This is Lewis Carroll via urban Peckham—playful and occasionally chaotic. 

As with previous festive shows at Theatre Peckham, the production pairs professional actors with a large cast of young performers from the Peckham Academy. The young ensemble is the beating heart of the show. Everyone gets a moment: one young performer sings brilliantly and beautifully on several occasions (playing the Ace of Hearts too); another—no more than nine—breakdances with infectious joy; there is rollerblading, tap, and a lot of committed singing and dancing. Families respond warmly, clapping with pride and enthusiasm. 

Among the professionals, Oscar Sinclair impresses, multi-rolling with flair—shifting from Stefan to Guru Carter to a gloriously camp Queen of Hearts in red leather boots, extravagant wig and lipstick. Felicity Ison, as Snowy B (this show’s White Rabbit), similarly brings clarity, technical skill and a strong rapport with both audience and the young cast. Alice (Carma Hylton) and Siphiwo Mahlentle (in several roles, including an intriguing Cheshire Cat) struggle at times, especially with diction and stagecraft, and so some scenes lose focus and momentum. The audience begins to shuffle. 

That aside, this is nearly two hours of festive fun. There’s plenty to join in with—clapping, simple arm movement, catchy songs—and some audience members join the cast on stage to become chess pieces in the final showdown. The final message too is gently landed: Alice puts her phone away, reconnects with people, and resolves to try harder at school. A well-meaning gift is given for everyone to think about—even if the wrapping could be a lot tighter in places. 

Writer: Geoff Aymer  
Composer: Jordan Xavier 
Director: Suzann McLean 
Musical Director: Ben Christopher  
Movement Director: Khalif-Shakeil (Shackz) Edwards 
Lighting Designer: Jahmiko Marshall  
Sound Designer: Sasha Howe  

Alice In Wonderland runs at Theatre Peckham until Saturday 23 December