Review: Alice Immersive Wonderland (DockX)

Review by Daz Gale

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Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland (or Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland if we’re being precise) has been the subject of many adaptations in the 160+ years since it was first published. There have been movies, TV shows, stage adaptations and many other iterations while many elements from the story and specific adaptations have found their way into everyday life, be it in pop culture references or even in everyday lexicon. Who hasn’t used the phrase “down the rabbit hole?” Well, now you can go down the rabbit hole for real with the London launch of Alice Immersive Wonderland at Canada Water’s DockX. I know some of you will have immediately groaned at the word “immersive” but bear with me on this one. Could this ambitious production be as wonderful as it sounds on paper, or was this wonderland a bit too late to the party?

So what exactly is Alice Immersive Wonderland? Set across a sprawling 26,000 square foot space, guests can follow Alice down the rabbit hole, journeying through 10 different spaces as they enter, following Alice’s adventure in the magical universe. Each room features various elements including a short video to watch introducing specific characters and elements from each room (think Mad Hatter and the Caterpillar) all the while following a hurried White Rabbit from one room to the next.

The creation of Alice Immersive Wonderland is part of what makes it so impressive, with a faultless execution that helps find the perfect balance between visitors exploring at their own pace while having a keen sense of time (after all, you don’t want to be late). Entering each space tells you how long you have until that room’s video begins, allowing you to plan whether you want to explore the surroundings before, after or during, or just take a seat in preparation. Speaking of which, in one of the more unexpected comments I have ever included in a review, this experience boasts by far the most comfortable seating you will ever find. Whether you are sitting on a furry mushroom (not a euphemism I promise), a big bouncy ball (again, not a euphemism) or an oversized cup, the sense of comfort and relaxation worked in this production’s favour, adding to the immersion.

Immersive experiences are popping up everywhere, with each offering its own interpretation of the word. Their version of “immersive” could be on-stage seating or simply walking around the audience. Alice Immersive Wonderland is wonderfully immersive in every sense, though interestingly their use of humans to guide you along the way is surprisingly sparse. There will always be somebody to help out if you get lost, but don’t expect to have long and frequent conversations along the way (though I did have a great chat discussing being a queen with one of them - come up with your own punchline) and you are instead left to your own devices.

The immersive element comes from the design and execution of the world itself. In a remarkably sensory experience, you can look and touch pretty much anything you want to explore every nook and cranny - and believe me, you are going to want to search high and low for them, as there are secrets to be found at every corner. You may find yourself crawling through a secret passageway, opening a secret door or putting your hand through a seemingly innocuous hole with surprises to be found at every twist and turn along the way.

With that in mind, the design is by far the most impressive aspect of the experience, with each room having its own unique style and feel while coming together to make a consistently high-quality world. The most impressive one for me was the Cheshire Cat’s world, where looking around anywhere in the room could see his sudden appearance before disappearing again (here’s a tip - you might want to look up inside this room). The craftsmanship involved in bringing together this world is second to none, with all creatives involved deserving huge accolades for this wondrous experience.

It’s not just looking and feeling that creates the immersive experience, you can also get involved. There are games to play along the way, including flamingo golf and a great twist on hoop-throwing - it’s all in good fun though, so if you have absolutely no hand-eye coordination or are terrible at sports like me, nobody is going to judge you, though that didn’t stop me judging myself. There is also a fabulously fun and creative colouring-in experience for kids and big kids alike - I’m not ashamed to say my sense of childlike wonder was restored the moment my drawing magically appeared on the screen in front of me, though I still have issues colouring inside the lines (probably one for my therapist). Alice Immersive Wonderland also comes with no shortage of photo opportunities from the moment you enter right until the end - you can become the Queen of Hearts and give everyone your best “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” and then have your own head pop up on a platter at a rather large feast. Have a look at some of my personal favourite moments below:

Some top tips for this experience - Alice Immersive Wonderland is estimated to last at two hours, but you can go as fast or as slow as you like. My advice is not to rush it - they say each room should take about 10 minutes to explore completely. If you go through one room without taking the time to explore every corner, you may well miss something fantastic. The level of detail here is like nothing I have experienced myself, with even the most seemingly insignificant area possible to be hiding something rather wonderful. There are arrows pointing you to the next room, but that might not be the only way to get there - if you really want to mirror Alice’s adventure, you may want to look carefully close to the ground for another way in.

You can also go back if you feel there is more to explore in the previous room, with the experience ending with a 20 minute video featuring four separate five-minute chapters, which you can enter at any time. As is the case with other experiences that use this 360-degree video experience, the visual effects are staggeringly good, with the floor beneath you transforming with dizzying effects and some gorgeous stories playing out all around you to ensure you leave feeling completely immersed.

Your adventure in wonderland doesn’t end the moment you leave the experience, however, with its space at DockX holding other treats to prolong your adventure. There is of course the obligatory gift shop with some gorgeous Alice-inspired treats, with a particularly fun and insightful exhibition book delving into the history of the world of wonderland, Lewis Carroll and all of the characters you have met along the way. There is also Alice’s Tea Room, continuing the breathtakingly beautiful design seen throughout the experience with unrivlaled quality, all the while indulging in some themed culinary creations. Before leaving the actual experience, don’t neglect the one room throughout that takes visitors out of wonderland briefly and into Lewis Carroll’s world, learning more about the story’s impact on popular culture over the last 160 years.

One thing to always consider when reviewing an experience such as this is value for money. With incredibly reasonable prices for the quality received, Alice Immersive Wonderland may be one of the best examples of “bang for your buck” in London at the moment. The level of care and attention to detail prominent throughout really is second-to-none, creating a wholly impressive world that saw my jaw fall open frequently. Offering the best example of pure escapism these experiences hope to offer, the result is a fully-realised world so intricate and perfect that this could well be the best experience in London this year.

Rarely have I lost myself in an experience like this quite as fully as I did, or indeed had quite as much fun as I had here - by the time I left, my grin was wider than the Cheshire Cat. A complete feast for the senses and just about as perfect as an experience like this could be, Alice Immersive Wonderland is an absolute wonder. My advice would be to act quick and get your tickets for this wonderful show before it’s too late - you’d be mad to miss it!

Alice Immersive Wonderland is at DockX until 21st March. Tickets from www.aliceimmersivewonderland.com