Wicked at The Apollo Victoria

Wicked is a West End staple and one that I have seen a few times over the years but I always enjoy returning to any West End staple to see different people in the roles and to remind myself just why they are such long running shows.
Wicked tells of two unlikely friends, Elphaba a witch who was born green and Glinda, the most popular girl in the class, who meet at Shiz university. After an acrimonious start they soon learn that despite their different outlooks that they care for each other.
There is no denying how strong Wicked is musically, Stephen Schwartz who wrote the music and lyrics has struck gold with this show. The show has a huge range with iconic belt numbers such as Defying Gravity, sitting alongside hilarious numbers such as ‘Popular’ and ‘What Is This Feeling’ and possibly one of the best ‘I want’ songs in musical theatre – ‘The Wizard and I.’ There were however times when I would have liked a bit more ompf from the sound design in terms of volume, especially in big ensemble numbers such as ‘No One Mourns The Wicked,’ where I felt like I really had to listen to catch the storytelling.
The power of alternates, swings and understudies really came to the fore the night I was in. I had 1st cover Rebecca Botterill on for Elphaba and Aimee Hodnett on for Glinda as well as 4 swings in the ensemble. They really are the unsung heros of theatre!
Botterill as Elphaba captured the essence of the role brilliantly, showing her vulnerability yet depicting her as a remarkably strong woman. Her vocals were flawless and as ever rendition of defying gravity should, she gave me goosebumps with her version. Similarly Hodnett was a quirky and fun Glinda who leaned into the comedy where appropriate but in the same breath was able to show the conflict and the depth to Glinda that she is unable to let the rest of Oz see.
Fiyero was played by Ryan Reid and whilst his physicality and dance in the role was spot on some of his intonation choices jarred at times and I found it harder to get swept up in numbers such as ‘As Long As Your Mine,’ as a result. Joe Thompson-Oubari as Boq had a wonderful energy to him and Caitlin Anderson was heart-breaking to watch her journey as Nessarose unfold.
Wicked is a spectacular show to watch, from Susan Hilferty’s costume design to the dragon that sits above the action. Iconic moments such as Chistery gaining his wings and Elphaba’s realisation of what she has done plays out so well because of the staging and of course the end of Act 1 Defying Gravity moment is legendary. Despite the show being on for 18 years the show has lost none of its magic in this regard.
Overall Wicked remains a West End staple for a reason, a wonderful story, memorable music and spectacular visuals that is enjoyable now as when I first saw it 18 years ago!!
To find out more about Wicked and book tickets then visit here.
If you like this review you might also like my review for Hadestown, Mean Girls as well as my review of the Wicked movie.