Wizard of Oz at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff – review

Thanks to Wales Millennium Centre for providing us with review tickets for The Wizard of Oz for the purpose of this review

Craig Revel Horwood as the Wicked Witch of Oz is the theatrical treat I didn’t know I needed this summer.

He’s in Cardiff all this week in The Wizard of Oz giving an absolutely brilliant performance in a production of this classic which is unlike any you have ever seen before.

The story, dialogue and much-loved songs are all the same as the original 1939 film (with the addition of a few new numbers penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) but the staging gives it such a wonderfully modern edge, bringing it right up to date for a new generation. After success at the London Palladium, it’s now touring the UK, playing at Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday.

This is Wizard of Oz for a new generation. Glinda, the Good Witch of the North arrives on stage on a pastel pink Barbie-style scooter, some of the classic songs are given contemporary arrangements. The witch casts a spell which sees Dorothy and her friends glitching, and the Witch of the West’s monkeys have a Hell’s Angels vibe to them. Gone is the Oz beauty parlour where the gang get a mini makeover, and instead we have a Broadway-style digital backdrop advertising coffee at Ozbucks, fast food from Ozdonalds and posters for musicals including West Witch Story and The Phantom of Oz.

Most of the backdrops come via video projection allowing for some great special effects. I’m torn between thinking there’s too much reliance on digital scenery rather than the real stuff, while remembering that the original 1939 film embraced Technicolor, which was the height of cutting edge at the time, and so it feels only fitting that this new production embraces modern technology in its storytelling too.

Aviva Tulley is an endearing Dorothy, the young girl who accidentally becomes a hero when her house is swept away from Kansas in a tornado and lands in the magical land of Oz, accidentally killing the Wicked Witch of the East, and liberating the Munchkin people in the process.  Desperate to return home, she must journey to ask for help from the powerful Wizard of Oz, meeting a host of colourful characters along the way and trying to escape the anger of the Wicked Witch of the West who is keen to avenge her sister’s death.

I was surprised to see in the programme notes that Aviva has but two small theatre credits to her name, with this her first major role – you’d never guess that from the accomplished performance she gives. Her crystal smooth vocals on her rendition of the musical’s most famous number, Over The Rainbow, was breathtaking.

Benjamin Yates as Scarecrow, Aston Merrygold (famous for being a member of pop band JLS), as Tin Man and Nic Greenshields as the Cowardly Lion are a brilliant trio, bringing much unexpected humour to the production, with one liners, comedy gestures, and the odd contemporary reference thrown in too. There’s a brilliantly funny scene where Scarecrow’s arm falls off and when it happens again Benjamin looks like he is doing his best not to laugh, making you wonder if this an accidental mishap. Aston’s street dance and robotic movements get a great response from the audience and suit the modern tone of the production.

And then of course, there’s Craig.

Where the film witch is screechy and cackling, Craig’s version is gruff, menacing but slightly camp, and a little drunk at one point, reminiscent of his portrayal as evil orphanage owner Miss Hannigan in Annie, a part we’ve seen him excel in here in Cardiff twice, including last summer.

They all manage this without descending into panto territory too and as much as I love a panto, I’m glad it didn’t head that way.

Emily Bull shines as a graceful Glinda and the kindly Aunty Em, in particular her moving solo Already Home, one of the show’s new musical numbers.

Special mention must also go to Abigail Matthews, the puppeteer who brings Toto to life and is present on stage for the entire show, even managing to have a few comedy moments of her own.

Alex Bourne, who incidentally played Daddy Warbucks opposite Craig Revel Horwood when Annie came to Wales Millennium Centre last summer, rounds off the principal cast, with the ensemble playing everything from munchkins to the witch’s flying monkeys and the castle guards.

The Wizard of Oz manages to be so comfortably familiar but also contemporary and relevant too, with the film’s overarching messages – that all the bravery, love and intelligence you need is already inside you, and that home is where your heart is – shining through.

The Wizard of Oz is at Wales Millennium Centre until Saturday. Age guidance is 6+ with no admittance to under 6s. The show is around 2 hours and 20 including an interval. A limited number of tickets, costing from £20, are still available, here.

Also check out Wicked – the smash hit musical and prequel to The Wizard of Oz, which tells the story of Glinda and Elphaba, before they became the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch – which is at Wales Millennium Centre from 24 October until 23 November. You can buy tickets for that here.

Modern technology. Video, lights, special effects. So modern because wasn’t Technicolor height of technology