Review: Cirque Alice at Her Majesty’s Theatre

Cirque Alice, from the producers of The Illusionists, feels like tumbling headfirst down the rabbit hole and landing somewhere deliciously unhinged, beautifully precise, and joyfully theatrical, the kind of night that reminds you why live performance still has the power to astonish.

At the centre of it all is Layla Schillert as Alice, wide-eyed, warm and wonderfully grounded. She anchors the chaos with a quiet confidence and sensational vocals, guiding us through this surreal world without ever overplaying it. Her Alice isn’t just a spectator; she’s our way in, our emotional compass as logic bends and spectacle takes over.

If there’s one figure who threatens to steal the show entirely, it’s Paul Debek’s Mad Hatter; a magician of rare presence and comic timing. Every entrance lands, every trick is layered with character, and his mischievous rapport with the audience is irresistible. He doesn’t just perform magic; he inhabits it.

The cast around him is stacked with delights. Darius Thompson’s White Rabbit, violin in hand, scurries and soars in equal measure, threading music through movement with an elegance that feels both frantic and lyrical. The TT Boys as the Tweedles bring buoyant, high-energy acrobatics and a cheeky physicality that keeps the tone playful and light.

There’s something hypnotic about Viktor Hladchenko’s cyr wheel-spinning March Hare, his control so seamless it feels almost unreal. Equally mesmerising is the contortion quartet, Enkhzaya Battogoo, Baigalmaa Chuluun, and Doljinsuren and Dolgorsuren Ganbold as The Caterpillar, whose sculptural shapes and slow-burn intensity hold the audience in a collective breath.

Creature work shines throughout, particularly Daniel Schwarz as the Snap Dragonfly, all precision and power on the aerial straps, and the Ramadhani Brothers, whose head-balancing Knights are nothing short of jaw-dropping. Add to that Estuart Mena Gonzales’ teeterboarding Dormouse, charming and quietly virtuosic, and Brandon Raffo, whose juggling feels effortless yet thrilling, and the parade of talent just keeps coming.

The Queen of Hearts, embodied by Munguntsatsrag Naranbaatar, is a standout, bending and balancing mano a mano, and commanding the stage with a regal ferocity that’s impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, Emeline Goavec and Yoann Benhamou as The Flamingos deliver an exquisite duet, their emyo work both whimsical and achingly precise. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, Daniel Monni and Marina Sabetta glide in as the White King and Queen, roller-skating dynamos whose synchronicity and speed bring a fresh surge of exhilaration.

Threading it all together are the fabulous dancers, whose sharp musicality and expressive movement give the production its pulse. They’re the connective tissue of Wonderland, shaping transitions, amplifying emotion, and ensuring the world never stops spinning.

Cirque Alice is playful without being fluffy, spectacular without losing heart. It carries that same sense of polish, surprise and crowd-pleasing confidence that we know of a cirque show.

It has the right mix of imagination, discipline, and a little bit of madness.

And honestly? I didn’t want to leave Wonderland at all.

5 WONDERful stars!

‘Playful, polished and gloriously mad – Cirque Alice is wonder in motion!’

Lia Loves.