Stage: We are world beating

Ali in Wonder(Eng)land
direction & dramaturgy Lara Parmiani
with Abdollah Aljohi, Adela Belekova, Arlind Daullja, Raquel Diaz, Malgorzata Fronc, Jean-Marie Kalambak, Maria Carmen, Jesus Leon, Wen Yueh Lu, Anna Marsden, Cristina Martinez, Julius Morie, Wilson Ringda, Hamed Vojoudzadeh
musicians Selim Guzel
set & costumes Isabella Van Braeckel  • lighting Chris McDonnell
Jacksons Lane, Highgate • 14-15.Jul.26 ★★★★

An ensemble of 16 migrants created this show with director Lara Parmiani, playfully infusing the Alice in Wonderland narrative with their own life experiences. The idea is simple: navigating Britain's immigration system feels like entering an absurd parallel universe where rules of logic don't apply. Loose and scrappy, this is a hugely imaginative show, played with boundless energy and a real depth of feeling. And because the performers are so honest about their stories and feelings, the show is both engaging and important.

Almost all of them take a turn as the title character Ali, who falls into a rabbit hole of confusion as they try to find a safe home in the UK. Some are refugees, others arrive from European countries for work, but all of them face an arrogant, nonsensical system that continually contradicts itself and shifts dramatically with each change in government. Sometimes they feel tiny, cruelly taunted by both officials and the public. At other times, they make helpful friends and find inner power in their presence.

All of this is played for laughs, but of course repercussions are serious, and emotions are darkly resonant. Alongside Selim Guzel's live on-stage music, this diverse bunch of actors is dressed in dungarees with white, red or blue T-shirts, interacting with a lively sense of humour. They often speak directly to the audience or don Ali's hoodie to take that role as the story moves through various recognisable chapters, including a mad tea party, a friendly caterpillar and a kangaroo court. The Home Office interview plays like a deranged, unwinnable episode of Who Wants to Be an Englishperson. As one person observes, this blindingly messy system is exactly how the officials want it to be.

This is a bracing piece of physical theatre that is made riveting by broad-but-grounded performers who have lived these experiences. It continually reflects situations any immigrant can identify with, from language barriers to learning British social cues ("Do I smile too much?") to facing a wide range of subtle, and not-so-subtle, bigotry. They're accused of stealing both jobs and benefits, as if it were possible to do both at the same time. And the most salient point is that multi-culturalism has defined the richness of British culture for centuries. So while we are smiling at the optimistic attitudes and warm camaraderie, the show's jabs are hitting their target with razor-sharp accuracy.

For information, LEGALALIENS THEATRE > 

photos courtesy LegalAliens • 15.Jul.26