The full cast has been announced for the European premiere of Cirque Alice, the new circus spectacular from the creators of Circus 1903, which will run at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from 12 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.
Presented by Roast Productions and Senbla, Cirque Alice reimagines Lewis Carroll’s beloved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland through a combination of aerial artistry, acrobatics, contortion, music and theatrical storytelling.
Leading the company is Layla Schillert as Alice, alongside Darren “Dizzy” Partridge as The Mad Hatter, Olivier Award-nominated violinist Raphael Papo as The Cheshire Cat and Billy Ellitts as The White Rabbit.
The cast also includes Dario Togni and Michael Togni as The Tweedles, Enkhzaya Battogoo, Dolgorsuren Ganbold, Doljinsuren Ganbold and Shinechimeg Otgonbayar as The Caterpillar, Vladyslav Tsarov as Snap Dragonfly, Viktor Hladchenko as The March Hare, Ibrahim Jobu Ramadhani and Fadhili Ramadhani as The Knights, Daniel Onofre as The Dormouse and Veronika Ivanova as The Queen of Hearts.
Further performers include Anna Stelmakh and Evgeni Slepukhin as The Flamingos, Mary Ellen Nielsen Wolfe and Spencer Tyce Nielsen as The White Queen and White King, with Lillianna Clifton, Kenya McKay-Goodridge, Mark Samaras, Ricardo Walker and Sasha Woodward appearing as dancers. Molly Hord joins the production as organist.
Created by Simon Painter and Tim Lawson, Cirque Alice invites audiences down the rabbit hole with a mixture of aerial acts, acrobatics, contortion, puppetry and live music, accompanied by newly arranged remixes of classical favourites.
The production places audiences at the heart of the action, including on-stage seating options, as performers soar above the Royal Festival Hall stage in a two-hour family spectacle.
The creative team is led by creative directors Ash Jacks McCready and Kirsty Painter, with choreography by Dane Bates, costumes by Angela Aaron, lighting by Hugo Mercier and musical arrangements by Martin Raabe-Olsen and Marius Christiansen.
Commenting on her casting, Layla Schillert said: “Taking in the role of Alice in this unique adaption of Alice in Wonderland through the lens of cirque is truly a dream come true!”
Cirque Alice follows the international success of Painter and Lawson’s previous productions, including The Illusionists and Circus 1903, and arrives in London for a festive season run following acclaimed performances around the world.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
