Click your heels three times and wish for tickets to see The Wizard of Oz at Milton Keynes Theatre next week, writes Georgina Butler.
The beloved musical, which is based on the story by L Frank Baum, is visiting the city following a celebrated run at the London Palladium. This is an all-new production that promises to take theatregoers on an unforgettable adventure down the yellow brick road to the merry old land of Oz.
Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, is swept up by a tornado and whisked off to a magical kingdom somewhere over the rainbow. Accompanied by her trusty canine companion, Toto, she embarks on a quest with three new friends to find the Wizard of Oz. Will Dorothy be able to outwit the Wicked Witch of the West, track down the Wizard and make her wish to return home come true?
The Wizard of Oz is directed by Nikolai Foster (Billy Elliot, A Chorus Line) and choreographed by Shay Barclay. The creative team also includes set designer Colin Richmond, projection designer Douglas O’Connell, costume and puppet designer Rachael Canning, lighting designer Ben Cracknell and sound designer Adam Fisher.
Theatregoers can expect to hear songs from the Oscar-winning 1939 film – including ‘Over The Rainbow’, ‘Follow The Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘We’re Off To See The Wizard’. What’s more, the soundtrack also features extra songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Performances in Milton Keynes will star Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood as the Wicked Witch of the West and Alex Bourne (Annie, Hairspray) as the Wizard.
They will be joined by Aviva Tulley (Book of Mormon) as Dorothy, Benjamin Yates (ITV’s Emmerdale, Jersey Boys) as the Scarecrow, Nic Greenshields (Love Never Dies, Les Misérables) as the Cowardly Lion, Emily Bull (9 to 5, Matilda) as Glinda the Good Witch and Abigail Matthews (Bleak Expectations, War Horse) as Toto.
The company is completed by David Burrows, Adam Craig, Cole Dunn, Tyler Ephraim, Olivia Kate Holding, Thomas Kalek, Sadie Levett, Kelsie-Rae Marshall, Martin McCarthy, Rose Ouellette, Fanja Parent, Alexandra Regan, Nathan Routledge and Sydney Spencer.
Running time: Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes, including an interval.
The Wizard of Oz is at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday 16 to Sunday 21 July.
Georgina Butler is an editor, a dance writer and a ballet teacher. Visit https://georginabutler.co.uk and follow her on Twitter @GeorginaLButler and Instagram @glbdancewriter
