On Saturday 4th May, the New Forest Heritage Centre came alive with a wonderland of Alices, who joined us for an afternoon of creative activities, games, a sounds workshop and a mad hatters tea party. There was excitement in the air as Alices, ranging in age from a new born baby to a 79 year old, made Alice bands together, played wonderland card games and engaged in a ‘Menu of Conversation’ over tea and cake to get to know each other and discover what they had in common.
BBC South Today came to film the event – you can view an excerpt here.
“Thank you very much for such a special event. Alice loved the whole day and is sad to go home. She had lots of fun.”
“Thank you so much for inviting me to such a unique event. It was a lot of fun.”
“What a magical and memorable afternoon we have had. Thank you.”
All the Alices were invited back on 19th October to hear their voices woven into a new sound piece for The Alice Project, touring the UK in Spring 2025.
Acclaimed performance company Platform 4 will take you on a sonic journey through the Wonderland of Alice, weaving together original music, interviews with the inhabitants of the New Forest, Lewis Carroll’s text and voices from 40 contemporary Alices!
“Absolutely magical and totally hypnotic. Loved absolutely everything about it.”
“The unique performance! Great gusto, artistry and connections to Alice.”
This is a riff, a homage and a fascinating audio adventure down the rabbit hole, with a four-piece band of multi-instrumentalist performers. Expect twisting melodies, smiling cats, tearful mock turtles, and percussive teacups…
Aimed at adults and young people but not the normal Alice family show – for the curious and the curiouser…
Why Alice?
Did you know that the ‘real’ Alice from Wonderland – Alice Liddell – lived near Lyndhurst and is buried in the church there? She is part of the cultural heritage of the area and as a modern-day Alice, in a way, so are you.
Who are we?
Platform 4 are a nationally acclaimed performance company who have been creating unique, bespoke projects for 27 years. This new project inspired by Alice in Wonderland, is a gig theatre piece which will tour the UK in Spring 2025. What is gig theatre? – it is a cross between a concert and theatre experience.
The New Forest Heritage Centre is in Lyndhurst and since 1988 has been a hub where local people and visitors can discover more about the New Forest, its history, its customs, its people, its wildlife and its future. In its collection are a magnificent gilt-edged mirror that once belonged to Alice, and a variety of books and items given to the Centre by the Lewis Carroll Society.
Nerissa Wilkins is our community advocate, and she lives in Lyndhurst – so if your name is Alice, do get in touch if you would like to attend the next Alice event on 19th October. For more information, contact Nerissa at rissa@rissalove.com or text/ring her on 07812477940.
