Wicked at The Bristol Hippodrome - Review
Posted on: 2015-02-20
Our rating:
In all, this show is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of theatre. Behind the extravagant musical numbers, complex staging and multi-faceted characters, the underlying themes of courage, friendship and self-acceptance are ones that can resonate with all.
To me, the Wizard of Oz film is a little one sided.
A young girl finds herself in a foreign land, conveniently killing off the Wicked Witch of the East upon her arrival; the intoxicatingly Good Witch then provides the girl with ruby slippers and sends her off to find the Wizard of Oz who will send her home. All the while, the Wicked Witch of the West proves to be a great hindrance throughout the girl’s journey. Eventually the girl makes it home, the Wicked Witch dies and the film ends.
But why is the Wicked Witch green in the first place? Why does she want those ruby slippers SO badly? Where did the random talking scarecrow, lion and tinman come from? There seems to be so many unanswered questions in the film. Sure, Dorothy has a great adventure and gets home okay in the end. But I want to know more about the Ozians!
Based upon Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked provides a completely different take on the Wizard of Oz. The witches Glinda the Good and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, taking centre stage in the musical adaptation. The music and lyrics of the show are produced by the esteemed Stephen Schwartz.
Wicked tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two young women following their arrival at Shiz Univeristy. Both harbour strong dreams for the future, but little do they know that the world around them is growing increasingly dangerous and corrupt.
Glinda (played by Emily Tierney) is a sociable blonde bursting with self-confidence – and not much else. Elphaba (played by Ashleigh Gray) on the other hand, is a social reject. Disdained by all her meet her and an embarrassment to her family due to the colour of her green skin. Not that this holds Elphaba back from expressing herself, with a hint of sarcasm. Over time, Glinda and Elphaba overcome their initial loathing for each other and begin to bond. But, their friendship is put to the test once the evils occurring in Oz start to reveal themselves.
The differences between the West End and Touring productions of Wicked are surprisingly minimal. The smoke-breathing, red eyed dragon is still active at the top of the stage, the flying monkeys and electrifying ‘defying gravity’ lift scene are just as breathtaking to behold and set changes and lighting effects are executed with just as much precision as they are on the West End stage.
The casting is also spot on in most cases. I was delighted to see Ashleigh Gray (who I fangirled ridiculously during my teens) was once again playing Elphaba for the Touring production. She handles the powerhouse notes in ‘No Good Deed’ and ‘Defying Gravity’ with great flare but still remains faithful to the sensitive aspects of Elphaba’s character for the heart-felt songs ‘I’m Not That Girl,’ ‘As Long as You’re Mine’ and ‘For Good’ where she adopts softer vocals and a sweeter tone.
Emily Tierney also does a sterling job as Glinda. Vocally, Glinda’s part in Wicked is particularly demanding with its incredibly high notes yet Tierney delivers for every song; captivating the audience with her incredibly expressive voice. The bubbly and excitable nature of Glinda for songs, ‘Popular’ and ‘Dancing Through Life’ come through well in the first act with the odd “toss toss” here and there. Yet we also get a sense of the guilt and sadness Glinda feels in the second act during ‘I’m Not That Girl Reprise’ and ‘Thank Goodness’ after the consequences of her decisions finally come to surface.
The ensemble are a credit to the production. Their dance routines are flawless and the ensembles’ voices as a collective bring real vigour to the main musical numbers of the show. The ensemble members who play the winged monkeys are certainly worth an additional mention, their in-air acrobatics and elegant movements across the stage are impressive to watch.
The only bit of casting I’m not sure about concerns Samuel Edwards who plays Fiyero, the great love of Elphaba and Glinda. I must first stress that on the dance front, Edwards is certainly talented. However there is something about his manner as Fiyero that doesn’t resonate well with me. The depth of emotion doesn’t seem to be quite there and the vocals sometimes feel strained. Of course, there’s always the possibility I simply don’t warm to his slightly new take on the character I’d always seen Oliver Tompsett play before.
In all, this show is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of theatre. And I’m happy to say that after a five year break from this show, I left feeling just as uplifted from this production as I did the first time. For behind the extravagant musical numbers, the complex staging and refreshingly multi-faceted characters, the underlying themes of courage, friendship and self-acceptance in this show are ones that can resonate with all.
5/5
Reviewed by Grace Fox for 365Bristol - the leading events and entertainment website for Bristol
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
