Alice's Adventures Underground, The Vaults 2017 return

Forget the rabbit hole, Alice is going Underground. Deep down in the Vaults below Waterloo station, innovative theatre team Les Enfants Terribles have created a wondrous performance space, spanning 33 rooms, where audiences can become part of the Alice in Wonderland story.

In 2015, our Culture Whisper reviewers fell head over heels as they tumbled down into this mind-boggling feat of design and creativity. Now, Alice returns for 2017.

Once deep down in the earth, audiences experience not just one, but four different routes through which they experience this immersive and interactive theatrical performance that follows the story of Alice. Admitted in 15-minute intervals in groups, the audience is squeezed into the intricate details of the set before choosing between 'eat me' and 'drink me', and determining their experience through the underground wonderland.

Ensuring that everyone is separated like a deck of cards being shuffled, audiences experience an extraordinary range of varying storylines, differing vignettes, as Carroll's story is brought to life. We were agog at the rooms full of doors which opened to reveal a surprise, and the Mad Hatter's tea party was elegantly antiquated – each offering a new adventure every time you go.

This is the biggest project to date from Les Enfants Terribles. Founded in 2001, this sparky team has carved out a reputation for invigorating new works and toured all around the world. We loved this interactive experience – and thoroughly recommend booking now for your own trip to wonderland next year.

Children aged 11 and up are welcome, but they must be accompanied by an adult. Click here to read about Adventures in Wonderland, the special offshoot show for little ones, ages 5 - 10.

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Wonderland Bar

The experience continues after the show with the Wonderland Bar. Open 6pm-2am in the Vaults, the bar is designed by the Darling & Edge team, who hand-craft gorgeous sets that constitute the most scenic passage down the rabbit whole we’ve ever experienced. Complete with photobooths, food and flamingo croquet, Wonderland Bar is your chance to finally crash the Mad Hatter’s tea party of your dreams – no ticket to the show required.

Despite being populated by citizens of Wonderland – the White Knight, Gypsy Rose, Alice herself -– whose costumes and commitment to character add eccentricity, the spotlight is unabashedly stolen by Smith & Sinclair.

The cocktail pioneers play with alchemy to create drinks with their own narrative. The Deluxe Tea Party Cocktail, made with chamomile, green tea, peppermint and spiced liquor, is served with a lemon lollypop, which changes the colour of the drink when stirred. Edible cocktails in flavours such as gin, whisky and rum are almost too adorable to eat. Don't need ticket to the show to experience the perpetual magic that is the Wonderland Bar – just wander in.

Wonderland Bar is open Tuesday to Thursday 5:30PM-11:00PM, Friday 5:30PM-2:00AM, Saturday 1:30PM-2:00AM and Sunday 1:30PM-6:30PM