Nothing screams British summer more than a picnic (usually with umbrellas at the ready). How about combining it with an adaptation of a children’s classic – at the world famous Kew Gardens? The outdoor production of Alice in Wonderland is showing at London’s Kew Gardens and you don’t want to be late for this tea party.
Armed with a map directing us to the open air theatre, we followed the pathways of Kew Gardens and soon reached a clearing with the stage set for Alice and her array of unusual friends.
Coming prepared with a picnic blanket and cushions is essential while snacks are also well received. Some families had brought fold-up chairs. Oh, and don’t forget your umbrellas as well as appropriate clothing for the great British summer.
All that is left is to get comfortable and enjoy being immersed for 70 minutes into the quirky world of Lewis Carroll and Alice’s adventures in Wonderland.
All of your favourite Wonderland characters are brought to life in their bizarre glory and you are swept into the immersive production. Songs and dancing help the production bounce along – as well as the White Rabbit. Alice is hot on her heels, growing larger and smaller along the way.
She comes across the Mad Hatter’s tea party which has plenty of slap stick humour. Then there’s the hilarious Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee. Other characters who make an appearance include the Cheshire Cat, a hookah-smoking Caterpillar, the Duchess and of course, the Queen and King of Hearts. All the characters are expertly performed by the Australian Shakespeare company. Although the staging is fairly is simple, it uses visual tricks and puppets to create an impressive scene. As a family, we were captivated by the production, laughing and joining in when necessary.
There is some audience participation. A couple of the children got to go up or answer questions. Towards the end, we had a much needed leg stretch. This was my daughter’s favourite bit as we became cards in the Queen of Hearts’ croquet match. I managed to get the joker…not sure what they were trying to say there! The kids got to run around and participate in this segment.
It was a really special theatre experience. Being able to see a colourful British classic performed in an intimate setting in the middle of Kew Gardens was an absolute delight. Although the recommended age is over 5, my three year old enjoyed it and there were smaller children there too. Us adults had a great time too. Find out what my daughters (3 and 6) thought of the production in the video review below.
For this tea party, we were glad we’d brought our brolly. Fortunately, we only needed it for a few minutes as a quick rain shower broke out.
Tickets to see Alice and Wonderful also includes entry to the Gardens so very much worth combining it with a family trip to Kew Gardens this summer. My daughter is still singing some of the songs so it clearly left a big impression.
Alice in Wonderland is on 22 July – 28th August 2023, Wednesday – Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday (28th).
Recommended age: 5+
Tickets need to be booked online in advance. Discounts available for Kew members.
*We were given press tickets to see Alice in Wonderland for an honest review of the production.
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Great Post.