ALI IN WONDER(ENG)LAND to Return to Jacksons Lane With Revised Production

Created with and performed entirely by an ensemble of 16 refugees and migrants, including two musicians, LegalAliens Theatre's reimagining of the Lewis Carroll novel sees an outsider coming to a strange new land only to be caught up in rules that make no sense. The politically sharp satire sees different participants taking on the title role, each bringing their own lived experience to Ali's plight.

Following a white rabbit's promises of red buses, perfect queues and the sixth largest economy in the world, he comes to England only to encounter doors of the wrong size, interviews with no right answers, and helpful people that make everything worse. It's Carroll's Wonderland, just with better paperwork. Ali in Wonder(Eng)land is a whimsical and imaginative exploration of the experience of migration viewed through an absurdist lens, of how migrating changes us and the resilience necessary to face hostility and discrimination.

Ali in Wonder(Eng)land was originally conceived in 2022 by LegalAliens Theatre and the participants of their Tottenham Project, which was founded in 2018 by the Haringey-based, migrant-led company. They run free theatre classes for migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and anyone with English as a second language. The classes run every Monday in The Engine Room in Tottenham Hale, and won Theatre of Sanctuary status and a Haringey Heroes award. Ali in Wonder(Eng)land was presented at Jacksons Lane in 2023, and will be revised and developed in 2026 to reflect the experiences of a changed British society as well as new participants, including people from Iran, Venezuela, Eritrea, Cameroon and Poland.

Director Lara Parmiani said, "Creating a physical theatre satire with a cast of people navigating insecure immigration status, different languages, complicated lives and very different relationships to theatre is both a challenge and a joy. When theatre becomes a place where people can come together, be heard, and laugh at systems that so often reduce them to paperwork or stereotypes, something extraordinary happens. There is a raw energy in the room that you cannot manufacture. The result may not be polished, but it feels deeply alive."

Previous participant Kavyan V from Iran said, "Playing Ali was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me since I fled home aged 17."

Creative Director of Jacksons Lane Angus MacKechnie said, "We are pleased to welcome LegalAliens Theatre back to Jacksons Lane. Their work consistently brings important perspective to our identity as a venue, combining creative physical performance with meaningful community engagement. The return of Ali in Wonder(Eng)land represents an important narrative of migrant lived experience and ensures our stage directly reflects the diverse local community of Haringey; we look forward to sharing this production with our audiences once again."

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