Alice by Heart follows the story of Alice Spencer as she takes shelter during the London Blitz and escapes into the world of Alice in Wonderland while dealing with her friend Alfred’s illness. The musical focuses on themes of imagination, grief, and growing up, showing how Alice uses fantasy to cope with loss and the harsh realities of war.

In this design, the focus was on separating the harsh, sterile reality that Alice lived in and the whimsical nature of her imaginary wonderland that she visits with Alfred. Contrasting flat and cold lighting with vibrant colors worked to emphasize the difference between a harsh reality and a wonderful fantasy. I used warm and isolating lights to highlight the scenes where both worlds seemed to fade away around Alice and Alfred. As Wonderland and the real world turn darker for Alice, the lighting reflects this shift with the introduction of dramatic side lighting and the loss of vibrant colors.