Alice in Churnalism

Alice’s House of Cards will be a rich theatrical experience that children will be encouraged to respond to, influenced by the imagery of the story’s original 1911 pressing and inspired by pop-up books and playing cards. 

It will be led by two actors in a mesmerising installation that will double as both a performance space and a piece of art in its own right. 

These two characters will revisit much loved scenes the story, meeting favourite characters in a playful, madcap adventure. 

Devised and Directed by Katie Henry (National Theatre, War Horse UK Tour), the show will run from 14-22 February.

Other highlights of the festival will include a free family concert conducted by Sir Simon Rattle; a presentation by Russell Brand and Chris Riddell about their children’s book The Pied Piper of Hamelin (oh great); a children’s sleepover in the Royal Festival Hall entitled The Big Sleepover (where did they get that name from?); and a London premiere of a brand new production of Brundibár, the renowned children's opera originally performed by the children of Theresienstadt concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. 

There will also interactive performances of Charlie and Lola’s Best Bestest Play, Quartet for 15 Chairs and Bouncing Cats and Boom Boom Pups, a new Southbank Centre commission that incorporates hip-hop call and response for children. 

Further events inspired by the Alice in Wonderland theme include a Playing Cards Art Installation for which children are invited to draw their own profiles on playing cards, which are then hung from the ceiling of the Royal Festival Hall and Sheridan Quigley’s installation entitled The Land of Bread-and-Butterflies, that will unfold throughout the festival as children suggest new and exciting creatures to add to it.



Drawing on the humour of the croquet game where Alice plays with flamingos and hedgehogs, there will also be Flamingo Croquet. For children of all ages, the game will take place in the Royal Festival Hall cloakroom space, where two giant flamingos will flank competitors brave enough to take up the Queen of Heart’s famous challenge. An Imaginarium of Alice interactive performance will also lead children outdoors on a trail full of creative design, dance, music and multimedia technologies alongside the Imagine Photo Studios which will be dotted around site, creating opportunities for Alice fans to pose in three dimensional sets and relive scenes from the book.