Damon Albarn to host his own musical, ‘wonder.land’

Damon Albarn has announced plans to host his own musical, with shows scheduled until 2016.

‘wonder.land’ is Albarn’s own reinterpretation of the Alice in Wonderland tale, from Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of Aly, aged 12, who expires a “virtual world” after being “bullied at school and unhappy at home.”

“Online, Aly becomes Alice: brave, beautiful and in control. But some of the people she meets – the weird Dum and Dee, the creepy Cheshire Cat, the terrifying Red Queen – seem strangely familiar,” reads a description of the musical.

Albarn is set to provide original music for the event, with Moira Buffini (‘Tamara Drewe’) on book and lyrics duty. The design team behind ‘War Horse’ is responsible for projections.

‘wonder.land’ debuts at Manchester International Festival this July, before being shown at Manchester National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre (November 2015) before visiting Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet.

Previously speaking to DIY, Damon described the project as being “a proper musical with jazz hands. I don’t think I’ve ever been that far away from Lionel Bart. The first song I fell in love with was his, and I love Oliver, it’s just brilliant. I still love it.”

Further details can be found at Manchester International Festival.