Immersive theater at its finest arrives in Shanghai
Alice’s Adventures Underground has finally come to Shanghai after two immensely successful runs in the UK. Following in the wake of Sleep No More, the theater adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland skillfully blurs the line between performer and audience member, and is already a smash hit in Shanghai. For the younger audience, the kids’ show, Adventures in Wonderland, is perfect for an afternoon of whimsical fun. An older audience itching for an edgier thrill, however, will prefer Alice’s Adventures Underground.
Excited audience members started arriving 30 minutes before, as instructed. The majority were dressed according to the dress code, in red and black. Cell phones were sealed and bags stored, and the show began. Audience members were ushered through a door and into a dusty, dimly lit study filled with swaying stacks of books and random clutter. Alice appeared, darting from mirror to mirror as drawers opened and slammed shut on their own volition and the ticking of clocks grew louder. A secret entrance, previously disguised as a bookshelf, swung open. Apprehensively, the audience filtered into a long, twisting hallway covered with flapping book pages. At the end waited the rabbit hole, and beneath it, Wonderland.
Once the audience entered Wonderland, they were given a choice to choose either Drink Me or Eat Me, which would determine their side in the war against the Queen of Hearts. As Mr. White Rabbit said, each person’s choice would affect their destiny irreversibly. The next choice, however, was not up to the audience. Once sorted, each took a random card that again divided them into clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds. Each group was led in a different direction and a different journey by a Wonderland denizen, and the adventure started. In the next 90 minutes, Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland would be brought to life. The audience would encounter familiar and beloved characters such as the Tweedle twins, Humpty Dumpty, and the famous Queen of Hearts. They would listen to the Caterpillar puffing away at his hookah and sip tea with the Mad Hatter, become befuddled at the Cheshire Cat’s horrible sense of direction and steal a glimpse (or perhaps more than a glimpse) of the Queen of Heart’s favorite tarts. And finally, with Alice’s last words still echoing in their heads, they would emerge back into the real world.
Often, people are impressed at the actors’ quick reflexes and in-the-moment thinking. Part of immersive theater is that there is never a set script for actors to follow word for word; more often than not, they only have mere seconds to improvise, lest the show stutters to a halt. However, there is little chance of that happening in Alice’s Adventures Underground; the scenes shift from one to the other seamlessly with the help of expert actors, guaranteeing the best possible Wonderland experience. All in all, Alice’s Adventures Underground is perfect for fans of the story, or anybody wishing to make their own whimsical memories down the rabbit hole.
Wonderland can be found at Daning Little Manor, 666 Guangzhong Xi Road, from October 5 to November 4. For more information, please visit the following website: https://www.alice-underground-china.com.
Featured Image – Actor posing in the gift shop Courtesy of Esther Wang
by Esther Wu