Alice by Heart continues at Forest Theatre at Greenside @ George Street until 14 August 2026.
Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art’s Musical Theatre Ensemble stages a charismatic production of Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater and Jessie Nelson’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This is an invigorating and emotional production from a committed ensemble, the members of which demonstrate admirable expression and passion from start to finish.
This version of the Alice story is set in a London underground ‘rabbit hole’ during the Second World War. The context gives the story an emotive edge audiences need to prepare for, as the adaptation incorporates the traumatic context faced by children of that time.
Ellie Scott-Smith is well cast in the lead role of Alice and her strengths are multifaceted. She manages her vocal stamina well, articulating soundly and rising above when required. Furthermore, she is very watchable as her adolescent demeanour emerges, effortlessly switching between text and song.
The group is so confident on stage that their synthesis with musical director Jamie Noar – managing a one-man band on stage – is seamless.
There are some complex technical demands for lighting and sound which are competently handled by the production team managed by Amelia Thorpe. Although there are moments when the Forest Theatre stage looks too small for the creative vision, the performers handle the limitations well, particularly when bringing Fletcher Dobinson’s excellent choreography to life. The dance is lively and beautiful to look at, as in the scene of the multiplying caterpillars, where startling optical illusions are enhanced by the crafty caterpillar armwear.
Movement builds character, particularly evident in Emily Doye’s standout performance as an incredibly cute and petulant dormouse whose unruly legs add buffoonery to her boy scout appearance.
The entire cast is to be congratulated for carrying off the build-up of energy required to deal with the nightmare scenario of the trial scene and its denouement. On the whole things stayed ‘in tune’ but occasionally in duets the intonation drops in the lower parts.
The latter part of the show is carried by extraordinarily strong performances from Ophelia Mancini, who really comes into her stride as a domineering Queen of Hearts fully utilising her deep tones, and from Paulina Hill whose eccentric embodiment of the Duchess verges screamingly on chaos, and is tenaciously sustained even when manhandled out of a side door.
These aspiring professionals perform effectively in ensemble, which is a particular challenge with many playing more than one role. There is a lot of well-honed solo work on display, such as Aoibhín Monaghan as Mock Turtle, whose prolonged wailing in her Irish accent is imitated by the keening of the emotionally well-controlled fellow soldiers Bailee Gull, Natalia Taylor and Jessica Jackson, who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. In contrast, the beguiling feline fluidity and captivating melodiousness of Colette Ambo’s Cheshire Cat is joyful and playful just in the right combination.
As Fringe shows go it’s on the longer side and it is well worth leaving plenty of time to see it through to the end, not least for the super ensemble scenes at the end. If you miss it, then try to catch one of LAMDA’s other two shows on in the same venue until 22 August.
Charlotte Purkis
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