A Massive Alice In Wonderland Exhibition Is Coming To The V&A

Harry Rosehill
By Harry Rosehill Last edited 65 months ago

Looks like this article is a bit old. Be aware that information may have changed since it was published.

Last Updated 10 July 2019

A Massive Alice In Wonderland Exhibition Is Coming To The V&A
John Tenniel illustration Alice in Wonderland
John Tenniel's illustration from the original story.

Step through the looking glass at the V&A in 2020.

That's right, a mega Alice in Wonderland show is coming to South Kensington, and we're already willing to bet that this will be one of the most popular exhibitions of the year. The exhibition aims to cover one of the most inspirational and imaginative stories of all time, as it takes you on a magic trip down the rabbit hole.

The Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, The Queen of Hearts, The White Rabbit and of course, Alice herself, will all be brought to life through immersive and theatrical staging.

Alice in Wonderland at The Royal Ballet
Photo: ROH, Johan Persson

Lewis Carroll's iconic characters are some of the most widely interpreted throughout a number of mediums. Be it cinema, art, fashion, music, photography or performance, many have attempted to put their own spin on Alice et al. The most famous takes on the characters  — John Tenniel's original illustrations and concept art for Walt Disney's 1951 —will be widely represented in this show, but there will also be some wildcards, such as Salvador Dali's surrealist sketches. We're hoping our favourite take on Alice, Ralph Steadman's trippy drawings, makes the cut.

The exhibition is happening in collaboration with The Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne, which held an acclaimed exhibition called Wonderland in 2018. Take a look at how that exhibition came together in this video:

However, this exhibition promises to go above and beyond the ACMI's, and will explore Alice's enduring popularity, over 150 years after she first debuted.

Alice in Wonderland will run 27 June 2020-10 January 2021 at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Tickets to go on sale in Spring 2020, and more details will become available closer the time.