Theatre / Reviews
Review: The Wizard of Oz, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘Fun and colourful’
The Wizard of Oz may have been a family classic for almost 90 years since bring released at the cinema but this touring production has dragged it into 2024 with the cast including a global drag superstar and a member of a multi-million selling boyband.
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner The Vivienne plays the Wicked Witch of the West with Aston Merrygold, one-quarter of JLS, as the Tin Man.
The pair have contrasting fortunes. While The Vivienne embodies her role with relish, Merrygold could have done with even more oil to fully loosen up.
Despite The Vivienne and Merrygold being on the posters, the two standout stars of the show are Benjamin Yates as the Scarecrow and Nic Greenshields as the Lion, with Yates in particular brilliantly playing the pantomime-esque comedy foil.
This UK tour is billed as direct from the London Palladium but this fun and colourful new production was originally performed at Curve in Leicester during Christmas 2022.
The production has almost put set builders out of a job with an almost ever-present digital background taking us from Kansas to the Emerald City via Munchkinland.
As we venture along the Yellow Brick Road, however, there are more theatrical set pieces including meeting the Wizard of Oz himself until we peer behind the curtain and see him for who he really is.
That particular reveal is done accidentally by Toto, expertly controlled by puppeteer Abigail Matthews who is on stage for most of the time but renders herself virtually invisible through her skills.
Someone who is definitely not invisible is the effervescent Aviva Tulley as Dorothy, a perfect 21st century version of the character Judy Garland made famous in 1939.
The Wizard of Oz is at Bristol Hippodrome until Sunday. For tickets and more information, visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-wizard-of-oz/bristol-hippodrome
Main photo: Story House PR
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