Cast Set For ALICE IN WONDERLAND at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Shakespeare North Playhouse has announced the creative team and title role casting for Alice in Wonderland, playing this festive season, opening Friday 22 November until Saturday 5 January, with a national press night on Tuesday 26 November.

This inventive retelling, written by Nick Lane, will have a Prescot setting and a sprinkle of Christmas and will be directed by Nathan Powell – recently announced as the new Creative Director of Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. Helen Carter (currently starring in the Boys from the Black Stuff in the West End) will play ‘Alice’. Full casting will be announced shortly.

Follow the White Rabbit into the Cockpit Theatre this Christmas and be welcomed back to Wonderland! Everything is as Alice remembered... or is it?

Let Shakespeare North whisk you away to Wonderland with this marvellously whimsical festive retelling of the cherished classic you know and love, Alice in Wonderland.

Alice has always told her children stories of her adventures in a faraway world, not that they believe her! Even Alice has begun to doubt whether she’d really lived that daydream. Until, one Christmas Eve, caught up in the chaos of last-minute shopping, a flash of white fur lures Alice back into an all too familiar story…

Wonderland has fallen into the terrible rule of The Duchess, the cold-hard successor to the Queen of Hearts. Memory wiping jam tarts and informant eggs control the kingdom and make everyone miserable. Once again, Alice’s old friends, the Mad Hatter and The Cheshire Cat need her help to restore freedom to Wonderland!

Alice, however, is more bothered about getting back to her family in time for Christmas…

Throughout her career, Helen Carter has worked extensively in theatre, mostly recently appearing in Boys from the Blackstuff  at Liverpool Royal Court Theatre and The National Theatre.

Her other theatre credits include Love Liverpool, A Christmas Carol  (Liverpool Playhouse Theatre) The Last Testament of Lilian Billoca (Hull Truck Theatre) Bingo Star,The Scousetrap and Haunted Scouse (Royal Court Theatre Liverpool) Offered Up (Liverpool Royal Court Studio)) Merry Christmas, Carol (Royal Court Liverpool Studio) My Fairfield Lady (Royal Court Liverpool); The Star (The Liverpool Playhouse Theatre); Father O’Flaherty Save Our Souls (Royal Court Liverpool); Mam I’m ‘Ere (Royal Court Liverpool) ; The Sunshine Boys (Epstein Theatre;/Life in Theatre Productions); Word:Play Tour (Box of Tricks Theatre Company); The Last  5 Years (Life in Theatre Productions); The Gatekeeper (The Royal Exchange Theatre); Dead Heavy Fantastic (Liverpool Everyman) ; No Wise Men (Liverpool Playhouse); Hatch (Bolton Octagon/24:7 Theatre Festival); Dad’s Army Marches On (Calibre Productions Tour); Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi (Liverpool Playhouse); The Flint Street Nativity (Liverpool Playhouse) Top Girls (Royal Court Theatre London 50th Anniversary performance); The Honest Whore (William Poel Prize; The Globe Theatre; London).

TV Credits include: G’wed (ITV); Ruby Speaking (BBC Television); The Last Testament of Lillian Billoca (BBC Television); Wallander (Left Bank Pictures); Doctors (BBC Television); Beaten (Coastal Productions); Judge John Deed (BBC Television); A470 (S4C)

Feature Film: Through the Dunes (Empire Street Productions), 96 Ways to Say I Love You (Daisy Aitkens and Georgia Moffet)

Nathan Powell said, “I’m absolutely buzzing to be making Alice in Wonderland with Shakespeare North Playhouse. The winter holidays are such a magic moment in the theatre calendar, and I can’t wait to play my part and work with the team to share in some silly, wacky, festive joy with audiences in Prescot!”

Shakespeare North Playhouse Creative Director Laura Collier said, “We are thrilled to collaborate once again with writer Nick Lane, who captivated our audiences with his version of A Christmas Carol in 2022. The beloved and whimsical world of Wonderland will receive Nick's unique twist. Coupled with wonderful direction from Nathan Powell we can't wait to see what lies beyond the rabbit hole in our version of Alice in Wonderland.”

Alice in Wonderland will be directed by Nathan Powell, with set and costume design by Sascha Gilmour, original composition and lyrics by Simon Slater, lighting design by KJ, sound design by Ernest Acquah, and with Claire Bleasdale as casting director.

 

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