Alice in Wonderland: A Dramatization of Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking Glass"

In Short

This 1915 theatrical adaptation blends the iconic wonderland adventures and looking-glass mirrors into a single three-act stage play. A sleepy girl named Alice wanders from her uncle’s quiet parlor into a world governed by upside-down rules, where she must navigate a giant chessboard, attend a chaotic tea party, and survive an absurd criminal trial. Combining beloved nonsense verse with dynamic staging, the work captures the slippery, playful nature of childhood dreams. It has endured because it transforms classic surreal satire into a vibrant performance that speaks directly to the whimsical imagination.

The Story

The play opens in Alice's home, where she watches her uncle, Lewis Carroll, play chess. Curious about the reflected room inside the mirror above the fireplace, she grows tired after chasing her mischievous kitten and settles into an armchair for a nap. As sleep overtakes her, the Red and White Chess Queens appear in the mirror and call her into looking-glass house. Climbing onto the mantel, Alice finds that the mirror glass has softened like gauze, allowing her to step through to the other side.

There, the Red Queen explains that the surrounding countryside is laid out like a massive chessboard and promises that Alice can become a Queen if she advances to the eighth square. To stay in place, however, Alice must run at top speed. After receiving cryptic directions, Alice is left to wander through a strange hall of doors, meeting a series of eccentric figures. She converses with Humpty Dumpty, who boasts about his mastery over words, and listens to the Mock Turtle and Gryphon describe their underwater schooling in "Reeling and Writhing."

Continuing her journey, Alice enters the March Hare's garden, where she stumbles upon an endless tea party hosted by the Mad Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse, who argue over the nature of Time and pose unanswerable riddles. The White Rabbit arrives with an invitation from the Queen of Hearts for a croquet match. Nearby, Alice enters a noisy kitchen where a cook flings pots, a pepper-obsessed Duchess tosses a baby, and a grinning Cheshire Cat explains that everyone in Wonderland is mad. Moving to the royal garden, Alice meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee reciting poetry before confronting the tyrannical Queen of Hearts, who orders executions at every minor slight. During a chaotic croquet game played with flamingoes and hedgehogs, the Cheshire Cat's floating head causes an uproar, and Alice escapes the Queen's wrath by biting a tart and tumbling down a trap door.

Awakening in a garden of artificial flowers, Alice consults a hookah-smoking Caterpillar atop a mushroom, where she finds a gold crown and scepter. Proclaiming herself "Queen Alice," she undergoes an absurd examination by the Red and White Chess Queens on topics like bread-making and lightning, until both royal figures fall asleep on her shoulders. Alice is then swept into the Court of Hearts, where the Knave is on trial for stealing tarts. Witnesses like the nervous Hatter and pepper-shaking Duchess fail to give sensible evidence, and the King misinterprets a nonsense poem as guilt. When the Queen demands sentence before the verdict, Alice resists, declaring the rulers to be nothing but a pack of cards. As the characters freeze and call out their catchphrases, Alice wakes back in her parlor chair. Carroll invites her to tea as a shower of playing cards falls through the mirror, revealing her magical adventure was a dream.

How It Unfolds

Crossing the looking glass Alice watches her uncle play chess before falling asleep in an armchair. Phantom chess queens call to her, prompting her to climb the mantelpiece and pass through the mirror, which softens like gauze.

The giant chessboard The Red Queen explains that the land is structured as a vast chess game and forces Alice to run at top speed merely to remain in the same position. After taking measurements and offering dry biscuits, the queen departs, leaving Alice to navigate the strange territory alone.

Lessons and nonsense Alice wanders through peculiar encounters, conversing with Humpty Dumpty about word definitions and listening to the Mock Turtle and Gryphon describe their seaside education. She learns about subjects like Reeling, Writhing, and Uglification before watching them dance the Lobster Quadrille.

The mad tea party and kitchen chaos Joining the Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse, Alice experiences an endless tea party filled with illogical riddles and discussions of Time. She then visits the Duchess’s pepper-filled kitchen, where pots fly and a grinning Cheshire Cat asserts that everyone present is mad.

The Queen's croquet grounds Tweedledum and Tweedledee recite poetry before the terrifying Queen of Hearts arrives, demanding immediate executions and organizing a frantic croquet match. When the Cheshire Cat’s disembodied head sparks a legal debate, Alice flees the crowd by eating a tart and falling into a deep pit.

Becoming Queen Alice Resting near a Caterpillar smoking a hookah, Alice finds a gold crown and scepter, briefly claiming her place on the eighth square. The Red and White Queens subject her to a nonsensical royal examination before dropping off to sleep on her shoulders.

Trial and awakening In the Court of Hearts, the King conducts a chaotic trial of the Knave, using a meaningless poem as key evidence. When Alice defies the Queen's demand for sentence before verdict by declaring them just a pack of cards, she wakes up in her armchair for tea, surrounded by falling cards.

The People

Alice seeks understanding and progression across the giant chessboard, desiring to reach the eighth square and become a queen. She faces constant frustration from the illogical rules and rude demeanor of the wonderland inhabitants, yet her journey develops her confidence, moving her from a meek observer to a bold child who directly defies authority.

The Red Queen wants rigid control, speed, and strict adherence to royal decorum, measuring distances and forcing others to run relentlessly. Her desire for order is perpetually thwarted by the unpredictable nature of her realm, leaving her perpetually stern and demanding before she abruptly falls asleep on Alice's shoulder.

The White Queen seeks comfort and clarity but is hopelessly hindered by her backwards memory, experiencing pain and punishment before events actually occur. She remains confused and anxious, eventually collapsing into sleep alongside the Red Queen.

The Queen of Hearts desires absolute submission and obedience, attempting to achieve it by screaming for the execution of anyone who displeases her. Her violent decrees are constantly undercut by her court—who quietly ignore her orders or admit they never execute anyone—leaving her power as mere theatrical bluster.

The Mad Hatter wants to pass the time at his endless tea party and satisfy the court, but his terror of the sovereign and his broken, buttered watch keep him trapped in perpetual anxiety, leaving him shivering and biting his teacup during the Knave's trial.

In Its Own Voice

When Alice complains that running for miles has brought them no further than where they started, the Red Queen offers a fundamental law of looking-glass geography:

"Now here you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."

Later, as Alice tries to debate the proper meaning of words with a pompous egg, Humpty Dumpty asserts his supreme control over language:

"When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less."

During the absurd trial of the Knave of Hearts, the Hatter trembles before the royal bench while attempting to offer his shaky testimony:

"I'm a poor man, your Majesty, and I hadn't but just begun my tea--not above a week or so--and what with the bread and butter getting so thin--and the twinkling of the tea--"

What It's Really About

Underneath its whimsical staging, the drama explores the arbitrary nature of adult authority and the fluid boundary between identity and language. Alice constantly struggles to maintain her selfhood while shrinking, growing, and being tested by authority figures whose rules make no logical sense. The play satirizes rigid social conventions, educational systems, and legal institutions by exposing them as absurdity masquerading as order. Memory works backward, words mean whatever the speaker demands, and justice delivers sentences before verdicts. Ultimately, the story poses fundamental questions about how a child learns to navigate a world run by adults whose power relies entirely on pretense. By confronting these irrational structures, Alice discovers her own voice, realizing that the terrifying authorities threatening her are merely fragile illusions.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic children's fantasy, theatrical history, and clever wordplay will find this dramatization thoroughly delightful. Gerstenberg skillfully compresses Carroll's two masterpieces into a fast-paced, episodic play that captures the surreal magic of dream logic while offering brilliant roles for performance. The reading experience feels like stepping into a vibrant vintage stage production, rich with theatrical instructions, musical cues, and physical comedy. However, prospective readers should be aware of its structural quirks. Because it was written for the 1915 stage, the text relies heavily on rapid scene changes, stage directions, and pantomime that require an active imagination to visualize. Some readers may also find the dense barrage of Victorian nonsense, punning riddles, and abrupt transitions challenging to follow in script form. Yet, those who embrace its theatrical design will be rewarded with a fresh, spirited perspective on Alice's journey. The play’s sharp humor, memorable characters, and triumphant climax—where childhood reason overcomes adult madness—ensure that this classic adaptation retains its magical charm for modern readers and performers alike.