REVIEW: THE MAD HATTER'S TEA PARTY @ WHITE BEAR THEATRE

🎭 The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

📍 White Bear Theatre 138 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 4DJ

🗓 Thursday 29th August 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

WEIRD, WONDERFUL AND A BIT CHAOTIC

Having watched the Brother Wolf adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde earlier in the summer, I was thrilled to be invited to The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington. From the moment I entered the intimate and cosy theatre space, I knew I was in for a unique and memorable interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale and its iconic characters.

The play begins with the Mad Hatter being jolted awake by an alarm. It’s 6 o’clock, and we quickly learn that it has been this time for what feels like an eternity. Both the Mad Hatter, portrayed by the exceptionally talented James Hyland, and the March Hare, brought to life by Joshua J. Jewkes, are trapped in an endless loop where every day is marked by a tea party far removed from the whimsical gatherings depicted in the original story. In this adaptation, the bread is mouldy, the cups are stained, and the door mouse is no longer the lively participant he once was.

As the play unfolds the characters explore deeper, more complex themes - such as loneliness, madness, death, and memory loss. Despite the bleakness that surrounds them, the Mad Hatter remains desperate to keep the party going, clinging to a rose-tinted view of their grim reality. His insistence that the door mouse is still alive – demonstrated through numerous fart jokes – highlights his determination to maintain a facade of joy, which contrasts starkly with the dark, decaying world they inhabit and from which they cannot escape. 

James Hyland once again demonstrates his remarkable range as an actor. His ability to engage the audience, combined with his exceptional puppetry skills in animating the door mouse, made this two-person performance an unforgettable experience. His portrayal of the Hatter’s descent into madness was both captivating and haunting, leaving a lasting impression long after the play had ended.

Joshua J. Jewkes also delivered a strong performance as the March Hare, complementing Hyland’s energy and bringing his own nuances to the role. The pair complemented each other well, with the March Hare attempting to be the voice of reason amidst the Mad Hatter’s chaos.

There were, however, moments throughout the play’s one-hour runtime when the script became difficult to follow, and I found myself a bit lost in the dialogue between the characters. The exploration of abstract themes sometimes resulted in a disjointed narrative, which may have been intentional to reflect the lack of linearity in their world. However, this did lead to some confusion at times.

The visual and creative elements of the production were particularly impressive, with the costumes especially being wonderfully designed. The Mad Hatter donned a red-checkered, pyjama-like suit and the March Hare was clad in a brown waistcoat, boots and dark-brown fur ears. Both outfits perfectly captured the eccentricity and decay of the characters’ world. The puppetry was another highlight, adding depth and creativity to the performance.

Overall, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is a thought-provoking and visually striking adaptation of a beloved classic. While the narrative may be challenging at times, the performances and creative elements make it a show worth seeing.  The play is showing until Saturday 7th September, and tickets are available to buy here.

Estelle Luck

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer. 

My ticket for this performance of The Mad Hatter's Tea Party was gifted by Brother Wolf Productions who invited me to watch the show on behalf of Pink Prince Theatre in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.