Dreamchild (1985)

In 1932, 80-year-old Alice Liddell Hargreaves (Coral Browne) – the girl who inspired Lewis Carroll (the pen name of the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) to write Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass – travels to New York to attend a celebration of Carroll’s centenary.

Confused by American culture and unable to understand the huge popularity of the books, Mrs Hargreaves begins to remember details of the childhood events that led to Carroll writing the stories. Ian Holm plays Carroll beautifully and Amelia Shankley plays the young Alice well.

Thanks to Jim Henson and his workshop the Mock Turtle, the Dormouse, March Hare and others achieve frightening realistic (and grotesque) shape as they appear to old Alice.

Dennis Potter wrote it so it’s quite dark in places with plotlines involving older men and their advances towards younger females.

Alice Liddell Hargreaves
Coral Browne
Reverend Charles L. Dodgson/Lewis Carroll
Ian Holm
Jack Dolan
Peter Gallagher
Sally Mackeson
Caris Corfman
Lucy
Nicola Cowper
Mrs Liddell
Jane Asher
Little Alice
Amelia Shankley
Lorina
Imogen Boorman
Edith
Emma King
Hargreaves
Rupert Wainwright
Mr Duckworth
Roger Ashton-Griffiths
Baker
James Wilby
Mr Marl
Shane Rimmer
Gryphon
Ron Mueck
Gryphon (voice)
Fulton Mackay
Mock Turtle/Caterpillar
Steve Whitmire
Mock Turtle (voice)
Alan Bennett
Caterpillar (voice)
Frank Middlemass
Dormouse
Karen Prell
Dormouse (voice)
Julie Walters
March Hare
Michael Sundin
March Hare (voice)
Ken Campbell
Mad Hatter
Mick Walter
Mad Hatter (voice)
Tony Haygarth

Director
Gavin Millar