All good things, supposedly come to those who wait. For the last year, it seems as though ALL we have done is wait as every delight and wonder has been postponed or drastically reimagined to reflect the ever changing world around us. It’s really quite apt, therefore, that the first exhibition on my hit list includes mad hatters and parallel realities!
2022 marks 150 years since Charles Lutwidge Dodgson – better known as Lewis Carroll – first published his beloved children’s book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and the V&A are hosting a huge, ‘immersive, theatrical’ exhibition to celebrate the magical world that we were welcomed in to discover.
I was promised an experience that would take its audience on a ‘mind-bending journey down the rabbit hole’, with over 350 exhibits to see and, it didn’t disappoint.
Step in to London’s V&A this summer and you’ll meet all of your favourite characters: Alice herself; The Queen Of Hearts; The Mad Hatter; The Cheshire Cat; Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum; and more; all of whom will be brought to life through big-budget, theatrical staging.
Of course, Alice In Wonderland, as it is commonly known as, wasn’t just a children’s book, it also had a long-lasting cultural impact on everything from fashion to cinema, art, and music; all of which you’ll experience first hand at the exhibition.
Walking through the curious stages of the attraction, you get to track the evolution of film and special effects as you watch Alice herself transform over centuries, beginning with John Tenniel’s original illustrations for the Walt Disney movie in 1951, and including sketches from Salvador Dali, illustrations from Ralph Steadman, and more recent images from Tim Burton’s feature film and the influence that Alice and her menagerie of friends have had on the fashion industry.
Without a doubt, Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, is a delight to behold and a shining star on London’s rememeriging cultural scene.
Curious Alice is now available to download through VIVEPORT and experience at home, at a cost of £4. Visitors to the Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition will be able to experience a shorter version, A Curious Game of Croquet, via VR headsets within the gallery.
Tickets are available on the V&A’s website here.
Watch an introduction to the exhibition here.
