Wicked - Apollo Victoria Theatre - Review

As Glinda (or is it Galinda?) states, pink goes good with green, and on the 26th September the green foyer of the Apollo Victoria Theatre was flooded in pink as fans excitedly gathered for the Glinda pink performance celebrating Wicked’s 20th anniversary. The prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Wicked explores the time before Dorothy and her flying house dropped in, taking us into the lives of Glinda and Elphaba before they were the good and the wicked witch of the west; their school days, the loves and the decisions made that made them.

20 years on, and after millions of people have witnessed the spectacle, there is still a thrill of excitement that runs through the vast Apollo auditorium as that iconic music kicks in and Glinda (Zizi Strallen) comes soaring across the stage in her bubble. We are transported back as Glinda becomes a student at Shiz University, all perfect in pink and thinking that the world belongs to her. But when she is forced to share a room with the green skinned witch Elphaba (Emma Kingston), life has entirely different plans for her. Glinda is loved, Elphaba loathed. Glinda dreams of a perfect life with the handsome prince Fiyero (Jordan Litz), Elphaba dreams of using her powers to work alongside the famous Wizard of Oz (Michael Matus). But when strange things start to happen in Oz, the question is, are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?

Glinda, played by Zizi Strallan, is proper and perfect, not a hair out of place and not a toe out of line, with vocals that soar with ease through high notes and excitable giggles. Her take on the character balances hyperactivity with anxiety, a fine tightrope walk as Elphaba comes barrelling into her perfect life and changes everything. This is a Glinda with the idea of having to be perfect drilled into her, a glittering exterior whilst worry and nerves about making the wrong choices boiling away inside. Emma Kingston’s Elphaba is a powerhouse of passion and killer vocals. The Apollo Victoria is a vast space to fill and Kingston’s voice does it easily, with her Defying Gravity raising the roof. Her Elphaba is stubborn, and bossy, at times taking a it’s her way or no approach, which suits the character well. And just like Glinda walking the tightrope between hyper and terrified, Kingston’s Elphaba teeters between wickedness and genius. There is care in her decisions, although misguided by magic and a belief that her abilities can right all wrongs.

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Jordan Litz’s Fiyero impresses greatly, combining comedy with a real power that drives his narrative. This isn’t just a handsome prince, there for happily ever afters, he has his own mind and makes his own choices, not pulled to one side by what others think he should be. Michael Matus makes a charming wizard, every part of the showman without hiding away a lingering sadness of feeling the need to meet constant high expectations. I particularly enjoyed his performance of Wonderful, which in my opinion is a criminally overlooked song.

The ensemble work here is always delightfully sharp and slick, polished from start to end as the cast jump from playing munchkins and students, to the glamorous residents of Emerald City and angered witch hunters. And the costumes are stunning, particularly in One Short Day, and you are guaranteed to walk out of the theatre with a song in your head which will keep popping back up again like the ear worms that they are.

After 20 years, the story of Wicked remains fresh exploring discrimination, belief, truth, lies, friendship and romance with real depth and heart. Are there some lines that feel a little cringe? Yes. Am I still firm in my belief that the vast majority of the best songs are in act one? Also yes. But does it still thrill, delight and wrap you up in a world of magic and wonder for a couple of hours? Most definitely. And it will continue to do so for many years to come.