“Curiouser and curiouser”, you are bound to think, as you fall deeper into this rabbit hole of an interactive and immersive detective show. Try to work out what has gone wrong at the Mad Hatter’s un-birthday party in Crack The Case: Wonderland, the fifth and last instalment of Sight Lines Entertainment’s Crack The Case series. Dress up, join this tea party, and put your thinking hats on – you have a mystery to solve!
Crack The Case: Wonderland
You might be familiar with the classic Alice in Wonderland story by Lewis Carroll – girl falls down a rabbit hole into a strange land where she meets the loopy Mad Hatter, the enigmatic Chershire Cat, a pedantic Caterpillar and the trigger-happy Red Queen.
The un-birthday tea party, one of the famous and memorable scenes in Carroll’s book now sets the scene for Crack The Case: Wonderland. By the time the guests (you!) have arrived, something has gone badly, dismally, wrong – accusations abound and something important has GONE MISSING – and you have to solve it!
The 90-minute experience is produced by Derrick Chew, with scenic design by Russell Goh, sound by Bennett Bay and costumes by Tan Jia Hui. This immersive detective mystery takes Carroll’s famous beloved characters and gives them a slight Singaporean twist too. Adults will enjoy the veiled references to authoritarian governance plus the chance to play detective, and children will be tickled by the rhymes, catchy tunes and superb acting by the cast.
The 10.30 am and 2 pm sessions are built with families in mind, and are open to guests aged 6 and above with an accompanying adult. The 4.45 pm and 8 pm are suitable for adults — for audiences who come for the mystery and stay for the drama. The world and the case do not change.
Interactive, flexible entertainment format, sensational set design
There is party entertainment, courtroom drama, breakups and reconciliation all in one session, but do not expect to be seated for the full event. When you arrive, you stand for about 5 – 10 minutes as the characters are introduced in a rambunctious and entertaining way. Thereafter, you get to sit on the lawn around the tea party’s table (a very lush and wonderful table, by the way) as the crime unfolds and your role as guest becomes clear.
What happens across the ninety minutes is not fixed, as you get the chance to roam through Wonderland at some point, and at your own pace. You can meet the characters, ask them questions (you might be shocked at their responses! Or you might shock them…), follow the story or leave it to chase a more exciting clue.
I cannot say enough about the set design. Russell Goh’s imagining of Wonderland contributes greatly to how immersive the show is. There’s the Hare’s burrow to explore, the Cat’s vintage-inspired lair and the Caterpillar’s very quirky home. The Red Queen’s room – or should I say, den – is an absolute delight.
Beware the flickering screens as you snoop around her computer to find the clues you need. Avoid her eyes. Bow to her if she appears in front of you – which she does frequently, and suddenly too. Bring ear plugs, maybe.
The Cast Spares No Effort
Noah Yap, far from his Ah Boys to Men roles, plays the Mad Hatter, down in the dumps at his own party. Tan Rui Shan summons her unlimited energy to twitch endlessly and nervously as the March Hare and Masturah Oli wins hearts and minds as the Queen of Hearts. The Chershire Cat is reimagined as a somewhat mysterious activist by Zulfiqar Izzudin, and Victoria Lam plays the Caterpillar living by the wisdom of her Carot (not Tarot) Cards.
The Red Queen’s explosive bursts of righteous anger or indignation (one can’t really tell) are sights to behold. I found that I could hardly think; I could only absorb the full force of Her Majesty’s words and emotions whenever she spoke. People hold their breath when she speaks, it’s really the only thing we can do.
Yap’s Mad Hatter is also another highlight for me. Galloping around with childlike energy in parts, then tender and affectionate with his friends, and then, horrifyingly, shockingly pragmatic. The last is conveyed through eerily funny advertisement quotes and commonsensical Singaporean logic that Singaporean adults will recognise uncomfortably, and children will laugh at.
This was my experience at the 8 pm show though, which is catered to the adults. If you are thinking of taking your little ones to Crack The Case: Wonderland, the content will be a lighter! In any case, the cast are terrific in engaging the guests, so this will be a tea party all will enjoy.
What else you can expect
The show runs for 90 minutes in total, is indoors and goes ahead rain or shine. This is great for our current hazy outdoor situation. Photography is permitted throughout. Remember to take those photos for the ‘gram, because the set is gorgeous, but don’t forget to solve the mystery too!
Near the end of the session, you get to lay out the clues you have collected and discuss with your group members (yes, you will be sorted into groups!) to decide who the culprit is. The motive of the perpetrator was an issue we found interesting to unravel. Why do people do things, even when they know it is wrong? Crack The Case: Wonderland helps us see that people do not always make the best decisions when they try to hold on to what is dearest to them.
Crack The Case today!
There are no strenuous activities, but audiences are on their feet for most of the 90 minutes: seating is reserved for VIP ticket holders and is not available with a Standard ticket. Parents can also book the Wonderland Children’s Workshop — an hour of drama games, craft and tea-party etiquette at $48 for their children, held at 9am before the 10.30am show and 12.30pm before the 2pm show. It is open to the same ages as the show, 6 and above.
The VIP Experience adds a private tour of Wonderland before the doors open, priority entry, a reserved seat at the Hatter’s own table, a set of clues and a secret quest of its own, and a private photo opportunity with the cast. Minimum age is 6 with adult accompaniment, and every guest requires a ticket.
This weekend is opening weekend! So get your tickets today because there are discounts (see below). Crack The Case: Wonderland does these better than other theatre events: allows for interaction with other audience members, as well as the cast, and provides the flexibility for the audience to move around the set.
If you prefer to dive in as the energetic detective, there is space for you to go all out, and if you prefer to be the detective that observes in the background, you are welcome to do that as well. We really enjoyed watching our fellow detectives gather clues and work as a team to distract characters who were reasonably reluctant to give up what they knew. Do go, you won’t regret it.
Crack The Case: Wonderland
Where: Block M, Level 1, Goodman Arts Centre Blackbox, 90 Goodman Road, Singapore 439053
When: Now till 1 Nov 2026. Fri 8pm · Sat 10.30am, 2pm, 4.45pm, 8pm · Sun 10.30am, 2pm, 4.45pm
Tickets: $88 Standard Experience · $128 VIP Experience / Group of 4 package at 10 per cent off Standard tickets. Opening-week bookings of two tickets or more receive 20 per cent off Standard tickets. (Eligible with SG Culture Pass)
Duration: Approx. 90 minutes
Format: Non-linear. Audiences explore Wonderland at their own pace and meet the scenes out of order
