Alice: Return to Wonderland at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff – review

Thanks to the Sherman Theatre for providing us with review tickets for Alice: Return to Wonderland

If you’ve followed Cardiff Mummy Says for a while, you’ll know what huge fans we are of the Sherman Theatre at Christmas. I say this every year, but they really do create exceptional original theatre all year round, but especially at Christmas.

Each festive season, the Sherman presents two family-friendly performances – a cosy hour-long show for three to six-year-olds and their families (this year The Frog Prince in English and Biwti a Brogs in Welsh), and a full-scale production for those aged seven and above, which is perfect for families but also just as popular with groups of adults attending without children. 

This year’s main stage production is Alice: Return to Wonderland. The ultra talented Hannah McPake, who we loved as Scrooge in last year’s A Christmas Carol, has written and directed a beautiful reimagination of Lewis Carroll’s second Alice book, opening on Christmas Eve 1947, as Cardiff experiences the aftermath of the second world war.

Alice: Return to Wonderland is not a traditional musical, although it features a brilliant original soundtrack from Lucy Rivers, with several of the cast doubling up as musicians, and it’s not a panto, although it’s laced with humour throughout. It’s a wonderfully original piece of theatre which takes a familiar story, adds in relatable themes of grief, loss and growing up, relocates it and fills it with the right amount of local references to make it feel truly ‘ours’.

Alice – played by Elian Mai West who, touchingly, played the same role in the Sherman’s brilliant Alice in Wonderland back in 2018 – is all grown up and a planner at Cardiff Council. Grieving the death of her husband and traumatised by the night in which their home was completely destroyed in the war, she’s become over-protective of her teenage daughter Carys (an endearing Mari Fflur) and has forgotten how to have fun and use her imagination. 

That is, until the White Rabbit, played by another Sherman Christmas regular, the always-entertaining Keiron Self in his 11^th Christmas show for the Sherman, transports her back to Wonderland to rescue her daughter from the Red Queen. Caitlin Lavagna is a real scene-stealer in this role with a slightly menacing, unhinged vibe, even when she’s being nice, and she looks resplendent in a striking red dress and crown.

Along the way, we meet Emily Ivanka Hawkins’ soulful singing unicorn, Max James’ whimsical Hatter, and a host of other familiar characters including the Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat and Humpty Dumpty, played by Joe Tweedale and Oliver Wood. Zara Law is this year’s apprentice actor, making her professional debut most notably as a playing card among other parts. All credit to the Sherman for creating these opportunities for new performers – what a fantastic way to learn your trade.

Return to Wonderland is as madcap and nonsensical as you would expect an adventure in Wonderland to be, yet as the chess game plays out, the themes of loss, fear, and the changing mother-daughter dynamic become ever-more poignant and thought provoking.

The set looks fantastic, with a deep red platform and stairs dominating the stage and creating an unsettling mood. Other than the rubble at the front of the stage, which was once Alice’s house but is now used by local children to play in, there’s no other backdrops or scenery and it’s a world away from the last time the Sherman took us to Wonderland. But, as we are reminded throughout the show, ‘believing is seeing’ and it’s quite fitting that the show leaves the rest to our imaginations. 

The age guidance is 7+. Sensitive children may find the appearance of the Jabberwock a little unsettling, but this is very short-lived and the characters soon find a peaceful way to defeat the mythical creature.

Alice: Return to Wonderland is at the Sherman Theatre, Cardiff until 3 January 2026.

Tickets are still available, priced at £16-£32 for adults and half price for under 25s.

Running length 2 hours 10 minutes including interval.

Age guidance 7+.

Book online here.