This high-energy musical is just what the doctor ordered to brighten up a cold and dismal January. Drawing inspiration from the story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, it creates a new spin on the classic tale with the main characters – Alice, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts et al – undergoing therapy in The Institution for Extremely Normal Behaviour.
Beneath the exuberant singing and dancing is a highly moral message that everybody should be respected, whatever their own personal problems may be (low self esteem, eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive behaviour all feature here), and that ultimately, there is no such thing as normal.
Adults will find much to admire in this fast-paced show, but there is plenty for children to enjoy in a musical which is family-friendly and includes some audience participation.
It is difficult to single out any one performance in this highly talented ensemble, but praise must go to Teneisha Bonner for her crazed Queen of Hearts, an extraordinary long-limbed Grace Jones-type, who dances with a compelling elegance and magnetism. Plaudits too, should go to Isaac “Turbo” Baptiste for his effervescent Mad Hatter. All the dancers have an amazing, rubber-limbed agility which leaves you wondering “how did they do that?”
