wonder.land

by Damon Albarn, Moira Buffini and Rufus Norris

seen at the National Theatre (Olivier) on 31 January 2016

This musical, inspired loosely by Lewis Carroll's 'Alice' books, is directed by Rufus Norris and designed by Rae Smith, and it features Lois Chimimba as Aly, Hal Fowler as the MC (and Cheshire Cat and Caterpillar), Carly Bawden as Alice, Enyi Okoronkwo as Luke Laprel and Anna Francolini as Ms Manxome.

Making full use of digital technology, both as a plot device and as a theatrical resource, this exuberant piece makes its presence felt even before one has reached the auditorium of the Olivier Theatre. There is an installation in the cloakroom foyer featuring virtual displays, smartphones and i-pads inspired by elements of the set, all stirring a great deal of interest among the younger members of the audience.

Once inside, we are treated to a technologically savvy production which wears its relation to the Alice books lightly but effectively. Aly is a disaffected teenager at a new school, coping with the breakdown of her parents' marriage (for which she feels responsible) , and with the onslaught of bullying which naturally in the modern world attacks her in cyberspace. When she is invited to join the game 'wonder.land' she creates an avatar looking like a Barbie doll version of the Disney Alice (itself a more saccharine version of the original Tenniel illustrations). Soon she is immersed in a virtual world where other avatars are like (but not identical to) familiar characters from the books, and where other book characters (such as the Caterpillar and the White Rabbit) are features of wonder.land.

Cleverly Aly's domestic situation remains relevant to her predicament, and her addiction to playing the game results in the confiscation of her mobile phone by the creepily malevolent headmistress Ms Manxome. In an inspired twist, she too becomes addicted to the game, and having kidnapped the Alice avatar proceeds to corrupt her into becoming a vindictive cross between the Queen of Hearts and the Red Queen. Luke, another outsider at school, saves the day with his zombie avatars from his own favoured game, while Aly's father provides crucial evidence to outwit the headmistress in the real world.

All this was performed with great verve by an accomplished and athletic cast. While none of the music was memorable in the old-fashioned melodic way, the narrative shape was plain, and the ethical dilemmas clearly pointed without being too heavy-handed. All in all, I felt the use of the Alice material was more successful than in Will Todd's opera 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' which was more literal but at the same time less atmospheric. (See also my review of that piece in the 'Nicholas at the Opera' blog.)