Lifestyle
Originally published on Wednesday, 24th February 2010
Curiouser and Curiouser
Alice in Wonderland hits London
If there’s one thing our adolescent years have taught us, it’s not to imbibe anything labelled ‘drink me’ (or Johnnie Walker) and never, ever to follow the White Rabbit (literally or figuratively). Alice, of course, has barely entered puberty and is therefore exempt these important life rules, resulting in the Wonderland caper that haunted us with rotund twins throughout our own childhoods.
Tomorrow Londoners will welcome Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway down the red carpet for the premiere of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, so, in order to prevent you from being late for any very important dates and risking the wrath of the Queen of Hearts, we’ve amassed our favourite Wonderland themed events to keep you grinning like a Cheshire Cat all the way down the rabbit hole.
Alice in the Wonder Room
Selfridges’ already wondrous Wonder Room has been transformed into an Alice themed extravaganza, featuring exclusives from the likes of jewellers Tom Binns and Swarovski, and fashion favourites Stella McCartney and Alice Temperley. Check out Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter outfit, take a sneak peak at the window displays set up like scenes from the film, and stock up on playing cards, chess boards and first editions. UJ loves Tom Binns’ All Heart and Smashing Good Time necklaces.
Open now until 14th March.
Claire’s Becomes Alice’s
Having discovered that Claire is (more or less) an anagram of Alice, Claire’s Accessories are launching a pop-up space with an older audience in mind. Expect to find an Enchanted Forest, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and a Perspective Room, as well as the requisite jewels including top hats, charm bracelets, and playing card-inspired knee socks.
25th February from 2pm-6pm
26th February – 5th March, 11am – 6pm
18 Maddox Street, W1S 1PL
Mad Hatter’s Tea
As if the Sanderson wasn’t surreal enough with its Starck designed interiors, now the stunning Courtyard Garden will be the host for a twisted afternoon tea of gastronomically-confusing proportions. Settle in by the reflection pool or take a seat in a hanging cocoon for melting Queen of Hearts teacakes, exploding mint chocolate-chip ice cream, and pineapple lollipops that’ll turn your mouth from hot to cold, as well as the White Rabbit’s stopwatch on top of a tart, colourful finger sandwiches and a chocolate crackle surprise. You’ll be rolling down the rabbit hole at the end of it.
1st-31st March, 2:30pm-5:30pm.
£20 per person, £26 with champagne.
Alice in Wonderland Retrospective
The Tim Burton version may be the latest incarnation of this classic Carroll tale, but it’s by no means the first. Take a trip through time and revisit the film from Paramount’s oddball 1933 black and white production, through Jonathan Miller’s 1966 BBC adaptation and Jan Svankmajer’s creepy 1988 attempt, to Jim Henson’s creature shop version, ‘Dreamchild’.
5th – 17th March, various times and prices.
Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland 3D
If you’re going to see the film, you might as well don the silly goggles and do it right. Walk through the mushroom forest, reach out to touch the flowers and duck as the Queen of Hearts takes a swing at your head – all in fabulous 3D at the BFI IMAX cinemas.
5th – 18th March, various times. £14.
Mad Hatter’s Ball
Beach Blanket Babylon is rapidly establishing itself as the party expert of the East End – and just to hammer the point home (potentially with a flamingo mallet), their Alice-inspired soiree promises to be amongst their most bizarre celebrations yet. Expect cocktails in teapots and cakes on weird crockery¸ a chocolate fountain and prize categories including ‘Most Likely to Chop of Alice’s Head’, ‘Best Grin’ and ‘Maddest Looking Queen’.
6th March. 7pm-1am.
23 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA.