Alice's Adventures Underground

Robert, aged 12, writes about an evening out which we shared - and loved - in London: 

Mum and I went to Alice’s Adventures Underground and it was genuinely the best night out I’ve had in years. Alice’s Adventures Underground is an immersive performance based on Lewis Carroll’s book, Alice in Wonderland. Throughout the show every person has decisions to make that will influence the rest of their personal journey, meaning you can do something completely different to everyone else.  

Near the beginning we saw the White Rabbit and one of the queen's guards eating and drinking. Whenever the two ate, they seemed to grow larger and whenever they drank, the pair seemed to shrink. This led on to the first decision of the night, to eat or drink. Whichever action you choose corresponds to a door you have to walk through and both these doors lead to completely different stories. Mum and I chose to eat (meaning hearts or diamonds) and had a fantastic time but from what I’ve heard, choosing to drink (clubs or spades) is equally great. 

The journeys are split up into lots of sections, each unique to the suit you get after entering the doors (e.g hearts, diamonds…). Most of the scenes and rooms are really hands on and involve loads of jokes. A lot of the scenes also included bits of magic that was genuinely mind-blowing. One of our scenes was quite creepy and another involved a song that was really quite beautiful. 

The sets were so imaginative and amazing. They were all incredibly detailed with small touches that most people don’t even look at but added to the atmosphere of the story. Everything was done at the perfect time like when two suits mixed to see the same thing but were then split up quickly afterwards. Conversations between the characters were written so well, they were exciting and had no boring gaps. One of our section involved spying on another group and the things we saw were important later on, it was things like that made it so fun and exciting. 

Everything was so clever (the lines, plot and props) and I would’ve loved to learn what the other groups did. There were four main possible pathways to the story so you could definitely go back again. All the groups met for a very quirky tea before being escorted to a courtroom with a hilarious court case that involved all the four suits at the end. 

For me it was 90 minutes of sheer brilliance where every section connected to another. I loved it and would really recommend going while you still can.  

Alice's Adventures Underground is on at the Vaults (near Waterloo Station) in London until September 23rd. There are a variety of ticket options available, ranging from a standard ticket for £54 on a weekend evening, to £39 for a weekday evening. There are also cheaper tickets for certain performances if you're under Under-26, and more expensive options if you go for the Premium ticket, which grants you a cocktail, programme and edible treat. You can find out more about all these options on the website.

Disclosure: We were given two free tickets in order to write a blog post, but all the thoughts contained in it are our own.

Do note that there is also a version for the under-10s, which will obviously be very suitable for children. The lovely Nell from Pigeon Pair and Me has written a post on this from when she went to this show. And it also sounds great! It's on until September 3rd.

(In case you are wondering about the lack of photos from the show, you aren't allowed to take pictures during the performance),

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Why you must visit the Open Air Theatre in London

Attending The Open Air Theatre, London

Jess, aged 15, writes: Our family loves to go to the theatre, but there is one London theatre which is definitely more memorable than the rest. This is the Open Air Theatre, located in Regent’s Park.

As you might be able to tell from the name, what makes the Open Air Theatre so unique is the plays are conducted outside. This is a really different experience to attending a West End theatre.

[caption id="attachment_4001" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Outside the theatre[/caption]

After a short walk through the gorgeous flowers and trees of Regent’s Park, you come to the entrance of the Open Air Theatre. After being admitted, you walk past the café, and come face to face with the stage. Regardless of the production, the stage always houses an elaborate and extremely impressive set. In this year’s production of “On The Town” (which has just finished its run), the set was of a naval dockyard, but this transformed into museums, restaurants, and the bustling streets of New York City.

I have seen five different productions at the Open Air Theatre: “The Tempest”, “The Sound of Music”, “To Kill A Mockingbird”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, and “On The Town”. While I cannot completely remember “The Tempest” (I think I was about six at the time), I have always really enjoyed my visits. My favourite has to be “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, which involved amazing singing and simply unbelievable dancing. This was such an exciting and joyous evening, which I really wish I could experience again. Unfortunately, this year’s production was not as good, but I think this was because it just wasn’t to my taste.

[caption id="attachment_4000" align="aligncenter" width="800"] The weather at the theatre ranges from rainy to very sunny![/caption]

Of course, being outside does have some drawbacks; namely the weather. All evening performances tend to get very cold and dark after the interval, but we combat this problem with lots of layers, scarves, gloves, hats, and blankets. Out of the five productions I have seen at the theatre, it has rained twice. Even during the heaviest of rain, the performances have never stopped - this year, the stage was simply wiped down twice before continuing.

The Open Air Theatre puts on such a wide variety of magnificent plays: comedies, musicals, serious drama, and more. It is so exciting to be outside - you can feel the wind in your face, hear birdsong, and even see the sun set! There really is something for everyone, and I would recommend experiencing it.

The Open Air Theatre is about 10 minutes walk from Baker Street tube station and is open from May to December each year. Prices range from £25 to £65 for the main musical theatre productions (the next one up is Jesus Christ Superstar), although there are often other events at weekends during the summer. This year there is also a production of Oliver Twist, aimed at those aged six upwards, and tickets cost £18.

Find out more from their website.