Off to see Wicked the Musical with an all-new cast at the Apollo Victoria Theatre: I can hardly contain my excitement. As a child I was spoon fed musicals from an early age (pardon the pun) and grew up, much to my little sister's disgust, able to sing every word from the film The Wizard of Oz and mimicking dance routines in front of the television.
Wicked offers a rare opportunity to watch a story unfold from the bad guy's perspective. It's a chance for the 'baddy' to have her say, although not intentionally – she's far too reticent for that. Perhaps surprisingly, it turns out that the Wicked Witch of the West is not evil, just misunderstood – she's human on so many levels and sympathetic, even if she carries a chip on her green shoulder. Alexia Khadime as the troubled young witch carries the story with strength, star quality and remarkable emotive power.
The prospect of discovering how the wicked witch of the west came to be wicked and how Glinda ended up 'good' is enthralling for fans – it's not every day that you get background story to a favourite fairytale. I wonder beforehand if watching Wicked will blow the tale of The Wizard of Oz to pieces or enhance it.
A packed theatre has an atmosphere like that of a premiere – certainly not one that has been running for two years. Lights go down and the curtain lifts to reveal Glinda floating around in her 'bubble' surrounded by a gaggle of colourful, singing munchkins. Within minutes we're immersed in the world of Wicked – with great music, flawless choreography and a genuinely gripping 'what happens next?!' plot.
The two leads, Glinda (Dianne Pilkington) and Elphaba (Alexia Khadime) are captivating – their onstage chemistry is phenomenal. The trainee witches are forced to share a room at sorcery school. Glinda - a popular, blond 'daddy's little rich girl' type with an unknowing, endearingly funny side and Elphaba - a lonely, misunderstood teenage girl, who simply longs to fit in, but to everyone's disgust has been green skinned from birth. This revulsion is not shared by young hunk Fiyero - but their romance is still doomed.
An unexpected friendship blooms between the two girls, as Glinda takes Elphaba, the social leper, under her wing as a 'project', granting her acceptance into popular sorcery college circles. Although she's shy and retiring, Elphaba's voice is by far the strongest in the cast – angelic but with a gospel, raspy tone, allowing her to get deep into powerful notes and dramatic solos. Her mentor's voice has a sickly sweet, American, Disney-like feel - think Ariel from the Little Mermaid or Belle from Beauty and The Beast. It's hypnotic.
A terrifying highlight of the show is the appearance of the flying monkeys. The way they move and leap around the stage exactly recalls the terror of the film. Regular knowing nods to the original combine with Glinda's cringe-worthy airhead personality to add a comic element to a fundamentally tragic tale. Knowing the tale of The Wizard of Oz adds a deeper level of humour, but it's by no means essential.
The second half is gripping and emotional. The most powerful number – the one that grabs you by the balls, is Elphaba's solo 'No Good Deed'. It's the song that portrays her transition from innocent school girl to heartbroken woman; she's potentially lost the love of her life and sings from the bottom of her heart with deep sadness, frustration and anger. In complete darkness, Elphaba takes centre stage and sings ferociously, hitting every note with impressive force. I get goose bumps as her cape ripples in the wind.
We're left with a palpable sense of tragedy: that the Wicked Witch of the West has been falsely branded – there's not a bad bone in her body. She's simply the result of a dysfunctional family, crushed in a love triangle, and corrupted while trying to use her magical powers for the good of Oz.
The Wizard of Oz will forever be imprinted on my brain, every character, every scene. I'll always know every word to every song, but one thing for sure – I'll never think about it in the same way again. I know why the wicked witch is supposedly wicked: maybe that girl with the red shoes shouldn't toy with things she doesn't understand.
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