Get a ticket for this show – any witch way you can
Wicked (On tour) Verdict: Magical
IT has been seen by more than 38 million people worldwide and won countless awards – and now Scottish audiences can enjoy the wonder that is Wicked as it flies into three Scottish cities on its UK tour.
Wicked tells the back-story to The Wizard of Oz. It follows two school friends, Glinda and Elphaba, on their journey through life and the events that lead them to become the good and bad witch respectively.
Wicked first cast its spell on me back in 2011 when I saw it at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre. It was the perfect potion of a well-told narrative, spellbinding songs and that little hint of magic.
It resonates with people of all ages as it tackles themes we all experience through life: friendship, love, misunderstanding, acceptance and ambition. Wicked’s allure is that it challenges perceptions. Everyone knows the story of The Wizard of Oz and all have a pre-conception of the wicked witch as – well – wicked. But perhaps she wasn’t always that way. What this musical does is challenge everything we ever thought about the story.
The songs of Wicked have become illustrious in their own right. The first act closing number, Defying Gravity, is one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever seen in theatre. It makes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
But Wicked is packed with cracking songs such as Popular, No Good Deed and For Good to name a few.
The show’s winning formula lies in its casting of the two female leads. Glinda requires an actress with a lot of energy, coupled with a distinctive operatic voice, while Elphaba requires sincerity and powerhouse lungs. Emily Tierney will be taking on the role of Glinda while Nikki Davis-Jones will be flying high as Elphaba. Both have years of West End experience and look set to capture that Wicked charm.
Scotland will get an extra treat as home-grown talent George Ure from Glasgow, who played Boq in the West End for three years, reprises the role for the tour.
Wicked is at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, from May 6-31, Edinburgh Playhouse from Nov 19–Jan 10, 2015, and Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre from May 5-30, 2015.