Wicked Wows at Bristol Hippodrome in 2018
Posted on: 03 Feb 2018I’ve been looking forward to seeing Wicked since attending the press launch in September. It’s not a musical I knew well, other than knowing ‘Defying Gravity’ from when it was featured on Glee many years ago, so I went into the performance not knowing much about what I was going to see. To sum up in brief what I thought; I’ve been listening to the soundtrack ever since!
.jpg "Wicked Bristol Cast | 365 Bristol | Bristol Hippodrome")
Now in its 12th year, Wicked tells the story of Elphaba (later known as The Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good) and has been described by Gregory Maguire as “a re-imagining of the same world”. The events take place before, during and after the version of events that we see in the film The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Gregory Maguire wrote the novel that Wicked is based on; Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. Winnie Holzman adapted the book for the stage, and Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics.
This performance stars Helen Woolf as Glinda (read our interview here), Amy Ross as Elphaba and Aaron Sidwell as Fiyero.
Something I loved, and wasn’t aware of beforehand, is that the story is primarily about female friendship. Both women are good, and both are flawed; they both make terrible decisions, and also heroic ones. They hurt each other and save each other. The story looks deeply at human nature and how we treat those around us – both those in power and those who we have power over.
I have seen The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but while I enjoyed it, I wouldn’t describe myself as a fan, per se. Luckily, you only need a general awareness of the film to understand the references to it. I loved how the two weave together. Watching Wicked makes the film better; things that in the film are brushed over are fleshed out and it becomes much richer as a result.
.jpg "Wicked | 365 Bristol | Bristol Hippodrome")
As a performance, Wicked is a feast from start to finish. I was absolutely captivated – there is so much to look at! The costumes are incredibly detailed and the set is sumptuous. The music feels immediately familiar and is moving and rousing by turns. Every single cast member was excellent, and the performances seemed flawless to me. I’m torn between telling you all of my favourite moments and in keeping all the secrets! Without giving too much away, there are some absolutely breath-taking moments of staging, and the plot is relatively simple but contains the perfect amount of depth and twists to keep you interested throughout.
Wicked is playing at The Bristol Hippodrome until 3rd March and there are still tickets available, so please go and see it and then come back and share with us on Facebook or Twitter what you loved about it!
Article by:
Sarah is a writer and blogger, as well as running workshops and teaching. Her passions are food and travel, and you can follow her on Instagram at YesStarling and find her website at www.yesstarling.com .
