WHAT is Wonderland, you may be asking after seeing one of the plentiful posters dotted around York.

The answer it is a "whole new adventure for the Alice in us all": a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy and book by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd in a UK adaptation by Ava Eldred.

After sold-out seasons in Tampa, Texas and Tokyo, the multi Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Award-nominated Wonderland made its British debut at the Edinburgh Playhouse in late January and is now on a UK tour that burrows into the Grand Opera House, in York, from tonight to Saturday.

Hailed by the New York Times as “inspirational”, Wonderland is a musical adaption of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass, "with a huge heart, a medley of magic and a whole lot of wonder".

It presents a "timely and touching story of love in all its forms in an adventurous exploration of who we are, who we want to be and the power of everyday magic in our lives", driven by the songs of Frank Wildhorn, writer of the Whitney Houston hit Where Do Broken Hearts Go? and This Is The Moment from his show Jekyll & Hyde.

Leading the cast in York will be Wendi Peters, much loved for her portrayal of Cilla Battersby-Brown in Coronation Street, and man of the musicals Dave Willetts, who has starred previously in such touring shows as South Pacific, 42nd Street and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. Peters will play the Queen of Hearts, while Willetts will be the White Rabbit.

Wendi is delighted to be playing such a glorious role as the Queen of Hearts. "I went to watch Bernadette Riley in concert at the Royal Albert Hall and it just so happened that the producer of Wonderland was there! He sent my agent the score, which I just loved," she recalls.

York Press:

Wendi Peters: "On matinee days, it's six tarts a day, which is such a sugar rush!" she says

"The show was done with American accents on Broadway, but the script has since been adapted to make it more English and a bit more quirky, and the really nice thing is that we have both Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass in the show.

"We're all speaking with English accents, and not only RP but all sorts of regional accents too, though the Queen of Hearts is very RP, but very occasionally, when she's had a jam tart, she slips into something more northern, but only a little bit! It's three jam tarts per show, but only two bites each. I insisted on that...though on matinee days, it's six tarts a day, which is such a sugar rush!"

Analysing the appeal of Wonderland, Wendy says: "It's updated and it's quirky, so it's not your traditional Alice In Wonderland. It's suitable for age seven upwards and happily they will see a new side to the story. The music is wonderful too with every genre in there: rock, pop, and my number is pure musical theatre with a little bit that's like Gilbert and Sullivan, and it all allows the show to broaden the age range of the audience.

"The story starts out in the real world and in this version Alice is not a child. Instead it's set on her 40th birthday and she has a teenage daughter called Ellie, so it's about their relationship, where they both end up in Wonderland, and then everything comes to life!"

In playing the Queen of Hearts, Wendi has "tried not to pick up on anything in past performances". "I've purposely kept away from the Tim Burton film, the one with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter," she says.

"But this show is different because it's a musical and the reason I said yes to doing it is because it's something new, rather than a tenth cast changeover where you're just expected to do the same thing as before. That's why I've been able to make the Queen of Hearts a little like Queenie in Blackadder and there's a little but of Hyacinth Bouquet in there too!"

Wonderland will run at Grand Opera House, York, from tonight to Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york