New Wimbledon Theatre- until Saturday 16th March 2024
Reviewed by Brooke Burlinge
5*****
Wimbledon Theatre brings you the classic and most definitely loved The Wizard of Oz. What can I say except that it started off with a bang- quite literally!
The show began with setting the scene with a screen, showing us all rural Kansas and introducing us to Dorothy (Aviva Tulley) and her delightful dog Toto (Abigail Matthews), which was just the start of a truly spectacular performance.
Throughout the whole production, I was captivated and engrossed in the fantastical atmosphere, which I’m sure was the case for the rest of the audience. You could clearly tell that the whole of the cast had worked extremely hard to make this performance as memorable and remarkable as it was.
Aviva Tulley portrayed Dorothy beautifully, her vocals sounded light and soft yet powerful at the same time, the perfect combination for an alluring voice. I found ‘over the rainbow’ especially beguiling, even getting goose bumps when I heard her singing the song. Alongside Dorothy, Toto was a delight to watch due to Abigail Matthews’ brilliant puppeteering. Now what I can I say about The Wicked Witch of The West (The Vivienne) apart from the fact that she was unprecedented and positively enticing to watch. Her acting skills allowed the audience to be fully immersed throughout, always having a commanding and compelling presence on stage. Onto the terrific trio, The Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), The Tin Man (Marley Fenton) and The Cowardly Lion (Nic Greenshields) who were all amazingly entertaining from the get-go. With the Scarecrow’s vivacious, energetic personality keeping up with the pace and the atmosphere of the production the entire time, having everyone engaged and excited from the moment we met him. I think it’s safe to say that the Tin Man won our hearts while trying to find his own. He was a caring and compassionate character, always showing his loyalty by sticking beside Dorothy. The Cowardly Lion brought comedic relief in some of the more tense scenes, making us all laugh and keeping us amused with his demeanour and characteristics. Both Glinda (Emily Bull) and The Wizard (Gary Wilmot) added onto the magical aspect of the show, the pair of them giving us a fabulous performance. Everyone in the ensemble stood out in their own phenomenal way, bringing a certain wondrous charm to the stage, you could really tell how dedicated they all were.
I think that the stage and set design was both intriguing and fit perfectly for the slightly wacky and outlandish ambience of the show. Not to mention the wonderful costume design, capturing the essence of each character perfectly. Every single one of the songs brought a giant smile to my face further proving how prodigious, enthralling, and unparalleled the entirety of the performance legitimately was.
This, without a doubt, is a show to watch. So much so that I could watch it multiple times and still not be bored. What an enchanting, spell-binding production!