Last night Xene and I were invited along to the Press Night of The Wizard of Oz tour, which is currently at Norwich Theatre.
What Is Wizard of Oz Tour UK All About ?
Direct from The London Palladium, the sensational new production of one of the world’s most beloved musicals comes to Norwich.
Starring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner and Dancing On Ice star The Vivienne as The Wicked Witch Of The West and London Palladium legend Gary Wilmot as The Wizard, this spectacular production will be truly magical for all the family.
Featuring the iconic original score from the Oscar-winning MGM film including Over The Rainbow, Follow The Yellow Brick Road and We’re Off To See The Wizard with additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Join Dorothy, Toto, and friends on an unforgettable adventure down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz.
There’s no place like Norwich Theatre Royal this February 2024!
Wizard of Oz Tour Cast
There are some fabulous people taking on the roles in Wizard of Oz, depending on when and where you are planning on watching the show, you may experience Craig Revel Horwood or The Vivienne as The Wicked Witch of The West, Jason Manford or Nic Greenshields as The Cowardly Lion, Aston Merrygold or Marley Fenton as The Tin Man, Gary Wilmot, Allan Stewart or Alex Bourne as The Wizard.
Last night we had the pleasure of The Vivienne, Nic Greenshields, Marley Fenton and Gary Wilmot and they were all OUTSTANDING!
The rest of the cast you can see at all performances and they were all AMAZING, Aviva Tulley as Dorothy, Benjamin Yates as Scarecrow, Emily Bull as Glinda and Abigail Matthews as Toto.
What Did We Think Of Wizard of Oz UK Tour ?
With such an iconic film, I was wondering how they would approach the musical, and they certainly did a fantastic job, they had all of the original storyline, but with some added sparkle, glitz and modern day humour.
The full use of the stage, was extended even further with the clever combination of projection and physical sets, taking iconic scenes from the original concept and reinventing them to fit with the updated styling.
Giving the Good Witch Glinda a pink sparkly moped and the Wicked Witch’s Lair resembling a military base all added to the overall theming, bringing new life to this 85 year old film!
Aviva Tulley did an outstanding performance as Dorothy, she was powerful and sassy and reminds me of my teenage daughter at home!
The Vivienne was a natural Wicked Witch, and I wouldn’t like to meet Ms Gulch with my two dogs either!
Gary Wilmot was a kind, gentle professor Marvel that you’d be lucky to meet when you were running away, and not forgetting his rather funky Wizard outfit, complete with green hair, it’s clear to see why he has been in entertainment for so long, he’s a born entertainer.
The trio of Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion were fabulous, and really drew you into their own individual stories, and the choreography for these three was brilliant, from the wobbly first steps of the scarecrow, the rusted old tin man being oiled and the lion’s overall lack of courage, made a truly magical tale, that you were swept along with at pace. It’s a two hour show but it passes by in the blink of an eye.
Emily Bull is beautiful as Glinda and Aunt Em, her quick change between the two is just as impressive as her stage presence, her costumes were pink, beautiful and sparkly, just as the Good Fairy should be.
Abigail Matthews takes on the role of puppet master for Toto, her understanding and movements of the dog is perfect, the tail wags and licking of the lions tail reminds me of my own canines!
Every single member of that cast gave a fabulous performance, the costumes were inspired and you felt as if you were transported with Dorothy to the Land of Oz!
Wizard of Oz Running Time
The Wizard of Oz show is approximately 2 hours including an interview, although it feels like it flashes by in an instant!
If you are considering going to see The Wizard of Oz, do not delay as there are only a few tickets left for Norwich TONIGHT!!
If you are not local you can find the tour dates and locations HERE