A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust | British Youth Music Theatre

A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust

Our new highly innovative musical, A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust, will be performed in Huddersfield on 30-31 August. This mysterious and fascinating show comes from an exceptional young company of emerging talent and will explore the humankind’s eternal impulse to journey into the unknown.

As Writer & Director, Ellis Kerkhoven, said: “The show is not an attempt to recreate the original story of Alice in Wonderland, but rather uses this classic as a reference - enabling us to explore our own story adventure within a nonsensical environment. My intention was to make a piece of process-driven theatre that would take both the cast and audience on a transformative journey of their own.”A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust | BYMT

“There is a real sense of discussion politically around the concept of ‘travel’ and ‘Wanderlust’ at present; leaving, arriving, borders, journey, a desire to explore, the need to connect to elsewhere, a need to escape or indeed a gripping fear of disconnection, isolation or alienation,” – explains Ellis. “Where do we desire to go and why? What are we running away from? What are we hoping to find? This poetic space mission offers up a fluid, dramatic cinema-scape to really lose (or maybe find) yourself in.”

Our brilliantly talented young cast together with our acclaimed creative team including Ellis and Composer and Musical Director Adam Gerber had a challenging task to create the show from scratch in just 2 weeks.

A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust | BYMT

As it was a devised piece, the young people had the unique opportunity to contribute their vision and ideas to the development of the show. Together with the creative team they delved into the darkness and the vastness of space and time to find the answers.

“We have collectively dug deeper into the topics of travel and discovery explored and gone wherever the ‘journey’ has taken us,” – reveals Ellis. “A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust has been devised from the cast’s exploration of the human impulse to keep moving, explore and journey into the unknown. As always it’s been an absolute joy working with passionate, talented young artists. They’ve contributed so much and been a constant source of energy, enthusiasm and creativity”

The show features a powerful original sound score combining contemporary electronic music with a live choral soundscape. “Told through dynamic physicality, fragmented poetic story-telling and a mixture of modern choral and minimalist ambient song, the show takes us on an epic universal adventure” – explains Ellis.

This fascinating show will invite the public into a breath-taking and transformative journey to find out how far we are ready to go in our thirst for exploration, discovery, for our wanderlust. As Ellis says: “We would like our audience to feel excitement, adventure, nostalgia and, above all, WANDERLUST!”.

A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust will be performed at the Lawrence Batley Theatre on 30-31 August.

Book your tickets HERE.

A.L.I.C.E. in Wanderlust | BYMT

“My intention is to make a piece of process-driven theatre that will serve the whole creative team and take the audience on a transformative journey of their own.” - Ellis Kerkhoven, Writer & Director”