"'The Mad Hatter's Tea Party', based on the book 'Alice in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll, has been excellently adapted by James Hyland who not only produced and directed the play but incidentally plays the fun, crazed, eccentric Mad Hatter better than Johnny Depp any day of the week... A Child Of The Jago have outdone themselves yet again on the fabulous costumes that sum up this production as entertaining, fun and full of laughs and a great play to go and see with the kids or simply on your own. I loved it."

Rating: ★★★★★

~Mark Carter, BRITISH THEATRE JOURNAL

 

"James Hyland is astonishingly good at what he does... Hyland is a first class character actor and his Mad Hatter is, well, mad as a hatter – seriously and terrifyingly so as we richochet “from rabbit hole to heart of darkness”... Joshua Jewkes is an excellent foil as the March Hare...The comic and physical timing is exemplary... This show is James Hyland’s latest dive into nineteenth century fiction from a new angle. I’ve seen him in Fagin’s Last Hour, A Christmas Carol as told by Jacob Marley – deceased, Jekyll and Hyde and Dracula. His imaginative writing is as impressive as his acting."

Rating: ★★★★

~Susan Elkin, SUSAN ELKIN REVIEWS

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"The Mad Hatters Tea Party is a thought-provoking, absurd delight... James Hyland’s adaptation of the classic story of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is an insanely creative bewitched piece of theatre... The performances from both James Hyland and Joshua Jewkes were absolutely outstanding. The physicality mixed with the comical timing and depth they both brought to the characters were incredible to watch...  an absolute masterpiece and every thought and idea that went into it was a stroke of brilliance... The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party makes for a great night in the theatre and will leave you slightly gaga and make you ask more questions about life and reality than you had before... a wonderful and cuckoo piece of the theatre with very creative and imaginative elements mingled in."

Rating: ★★★★

~Becki Douglass, A YOUNGISH PERSPECTIVE

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"with James Hyland’s The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, the writer/director proves there are still unique perspectives to be gained from the legendary tale... he has seen great value in exploring the text in an open-minded way that’s allowed him to extract a clear, funny, and at times heartbreaking narrative... There is an interesting chemistry between Hyland and Jewkes and their commitment to their respective characters. There isn't a moment that they let their guard down, and even though there are moments within the production that really play in knocking loudly on the theatrical fourth wall, they both retain a wonderful truth, innocence, and even likeability of their characters, which endear their struggle to the audience.​​ What Hyland has created is a play that offers audiences a slight pang of Waiting for Godot as the Hatter and Hare converse in a way that’s respectfully familiar to Vladimir and Estragon in the aforementioned play."

Rating: ★★★★

~Niger Asije, THE NEW CURRENT

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"WEIRD, WONDERFUL... Having watched the Brother Wolf adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde earlier in the summer, I was thrilled to be invited to The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington. From the moment I entered the intimate and cosy theatre space, I knew I was in for a unique and memorable interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale and its iconic characters...  James Hyland once again demonstrates his remarkable range as an actor. His ability to engage the audience, combined with his exceptional puppetry skills in animating the door mouse, made this two-person performance an unforgettable experience. His portrayal of the Hatter’s descent into madness was both captivating and haunting, leaving a lasting impression long after the play had ended. Joshua J. Jewkes also delivered a strong performance as the March Hare, complementing Hyland’s energy and bringing his own nuances to the role. The pair complemented each other well... The visual and creative elements of the production were particularly impressive, with the costumes especially being wonderfully designed... The puppetry was another highlight, adding depth and creativity to the performance... The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is a thought-provoking and visually striking adaptation of a beloved classic... the performances and creative elements make it a show worth seeing."

~Estelle Luck, PINK PRINCE THEATRE

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"The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, directed by James Hyland at the White Bear Theatre, is a theatrical journey into the depths of absurdity, where the boundaries between fiction and reality blur into chaotic eccentricity. This adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s ironically timeless classic by Brother Wolf doesn’t just take you down the rabbit hole – it plunges you into the very heart of madness itself. The production is a riotous celebration of Carroll’s surreal world, where logic is upended and the familiar becomes strange and unsettling... this production is more than just a retelling of a beloved story – it’s an immersive experience that leaves its mark on the psyche...  offering a poignant commentary on the human condition... Be warned, you may just leave the theatre more unhinged than when you arrived."

~Olivia Gardener, THE UPCOMING

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"The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party is an absurdist take on the beloved characters from Lewis Carroll’s world of madness... Desperate and intense, funny and clever, this absurdist play is entertaining and surreal."

~Bianca, A SHINY LIFE FOR ME​​

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"The Strangest Never-Ending Tea Party You’ll Ever Attend... The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, directed by James Hyland, is an absurdist and immersive play that delves into memory loss and madness... By inviting the audience into the tea party, we are led down the rabbit hole with them both, taken on a journey that blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality... All sense of time and reality fades away in this performance... You leave this engaging show with a sense of confusion, unable to fully explain what you have just observed, though knowing that you had an entertaining evening... and can be accurately described as weird and wonderful!"

~Kashmini Shah, VOICE MAGAZINE