Albarn said he was ‘genuinely very frightened’ of some of the Alice in Wonderland characters as a child
Singer Damon Albarn has co-written a stage musical based on Lewis Carroll’s classic story Alice in Wonderland.
Titled Wonder.land, the show is part of the National Theatre’s first season under its new artistic director Rufus Norris and will premiere at July’s Manchester International Festival.
The story follows 12-year-old Aly, who creates an online alter-ego as Alice and loses herself in a virtual world.
Albarn has written the music, and the script and lyrics are by Moira Buffini.
“I’m fascinated by the idea of going down a rabbit hole, the otherworldliness and what that might mean,” he said.
“Alice aside, The Queen of Hearts, The Duchess, White Rabbit, Caterpillar were the most threatening characters of my childhood. I was genuinely very frightened of them as a kid.”
The musician is best known for being part of the bands Blur and Gorillaz and has also previously created the stage shows Dr Dee and Monkey: Journey to the West for the Manchester International Festival.
Digital ‘challenge’
Buffini has previously written the plays Handbagged and Welcome To Thebes and the screenplays for Tamara Drewe, Jane Eyre and Byzantium.
“I have never written a musical before so I am in at the deep end – but with two wonderful collaborators in Damon and Rufus,” she said.
“It has been a real pleasure so far and to my surprise I have enjoyed writing the lyrics most of all.
“Alice offers a great challenge. Carroll’s stories and Tenniel’s drawings are hardwired into our subconscious; characters curious and bold, treading a line between dream and reality.
“Finding a way to reinvent these icons for the digital age has been a fascinating journey.”
Source:: BBC Entertainment
