We're through the looking glass

Photo: Paul Coltas

WENDI Peters plays the Queen and Dave Willetts the White Rabbit in Wonderland

WONDERLAND

Palace, Manchester to Saturday

WONDERLAND is a curiosity: it has managed to slip into the UK and tour without the huge publicity train that normally accompanies big and colourful modern musicals.

And once you see it, you understand why. A lot of publicity would have set us up to expect something Wicked-like, but ultimately it doesn't nearly make that sort of level.

Wonderland follows Alice down the White Rabbit's hole ­- and Alice (Kerry Ellis) is a 40-year-old divorcee with a teenage child, Ellie (sweet Naomi Morris) in tow, and Wonderland is discovered by following the rabbit (Dave Willetts) down in the lift of their tower block.

In this other-world, where to be beheaded once means we stay forever, we find the Queen of Hearts is trying to kill everyone and the Mad Hatter has plans to overthrow the queen to stop her.

All turns out well and problems are solved by the end, but not without excursions into the looking glass to fix various character traits along the way.

Kerry Ellis puts her great voice to good use but the character is more than a little insufferable through act one, gaining full power after the interval when the songs are pretty much written to impress.

Want a big number at high volume and pitch? There'll be one along in a moment ­- plus separate and blatant episodes for the talents of the other leads ­- Wendi Peters, Natalie McQueen (Mad Hatter) and Stephen Webb (Jack). This wouldn't be so bad, but the lyrics of said songs are pretty much strings of cliches about pulling yourself up and trying again, the main theme of Alice's evening...

The script has its comic moments and attitude but too little is made of some of the characters and not a lot happens plot-wise, so we are mentally twiddling our thumbs some of the time.

A better book and more literate lyrics wouldn't hurt for starters.

Though little of this whingeing can be levelled at the performers, who put on a Wicked-quality performance in a Wonderland-grade show.