Review | Alice In Winter Wonderland | The Grange Theatre | 06 December 2025

After wowing more mature audiences with a wonderfully dark production of Macbeth in September, The Grange Theatre in Hartford has switched gears for the festive season with their family-friendly production of Alice in Winter Wonderland. Following last year’s ambitious Peter Pan, complete with impressive aerial stunts, the bar seemed almost impossibly high. Yet the team has somehow matched, and in places surpassed, those heights with this brilliantly bonkers twist on the classic tale.

All Alice really wants for Christmas is to be able spend more time with her busy working mum. But when she finds herself lost in winter wonderland, it will take all her efforts and of the friends she makes along the way to get her back in time for Christmas.

Almost standard procedure for any Grange Theatre production, Thomas Frith’s set design really pushes the boundary of what can achieved in the space. With a thrust stage adorned with playing cards, chessboard squares and psychedelic patterns, it is directed in a way which ensures that every seat feels like the best in the house. With characters popping up from unexpected places amongst a wide array of set pieces, it is helped brought to life even further with Joe Cox’s exciting lighting design.

Played with genuine warmth, Jenny Murphy is instantly likable as Alice. As she descends into Winter Wonderland with a brilliant bit of stage magic, one by one we are introduced to an array of fun and mischievous characters, each as energetic and charming as the last. Amongst them Alexander McGonagle shines as the delightfully erratic White Rabbit. Bursting through audience rows before hiding in plain sight, he captures the spirit of the pantomime without needing to resort to the predictability of it. Anchoring much of the show, he brings bucket loads of personality to the role and is a joy to watch.

Returning to The Grange after staring in both Peter Pan and Macbeth, Joanne McGarva is superb as the Queen of Hearts. She strikes a perfect balance between camp and villainy in the role, remaining wicked without being too frightening for younger theatregoers. Her entrance alone, belting Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’ to the ‘peasants’ in the audience, sets the tone for her hilariously self-absorbed performance as the Queen of Hearts.

Not only does McGarva star, but she has also penned the script. Infused with northern humour and heart, the script brings a fresh perspective to Lewis Carroll’s world. The regional accents peppered throughout the cast add to this distinctive charm, helping enhance the comical moments even further. Amongst a soundtrack featuring everything from Dolly Parton to Spice Girls, there’s plenty in the script to keep all family members entertained, with a nice sprinkling of topical humour for the parents too.

With a lovely message at its core, Alice In Winter Wonderland is a warm festive hug of a show. With its blend of charm and creativity, and with tickets that remaining refreshingly affordable, it is on at The Grange Theatre until 03 January 2026.

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Note: My ticket was gifted in exchange for a review. This review is based on my honest opinion alone and is without influence.