RuPaul’s Drag Race winner The Vivienne to star in The Wizard of Oz stage show

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner The Vivienne to star in The Wizard of Oz stage show

Posted on: 11 Oct 2023

The Vivienne is off to see the wizard as The Wicked Witch of the West in this beloved story which embarks on a UK tour straight from a summer season at the London Palladium.

 

The Wizard of Oz runs at The Bristol Hippodrome between Tuesday 2 and Sunday 7 April 2024.

 

This new musical, based on L. Frank Baum’s legendary tale, is heading out on tour throughout 2024 and Drag Race UK’S first ever winner and Dancing on Ice finalist will play the iconic role of The Wicked Witch of the West for the Bristol leg of the tour – along with other select dates.

 

BUY TICKETS HERE

 

 

Bristolian theatre lovers prepare to join Dorothy, Toto and friends on an journey like no other down the yellow brick road to the merry land of Oz. With an iconic original score from the Oscar-winning movie, including ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Follow The Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘We’re Off To See The Wizard’ – along with new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

 

The Vivienne, seen by many as the UK’s number one drag queen, became a certified superstar when she became the original champion of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and has since been a regular on TV and released her own music.

 

This year, she made history as the first drag star to appear on a UK reality competition series, competing in ITV’s Dancing On Ice. Viv made it all the way through the Top Three and impressed in the final with breathtaking performances. Speaking about taking on the role of The Wicked Witch of the West, The Vivienne said:

 

“It is quite literally a dream come true to be asked to play The Wicked Witch of the West and to bring this amazing character to life. The Wizard of Oz means everything to me, it’s the ultimate story of overcoming adversity. I first saw the movie aged five and I’ve probably seen it about 100 times since.

 

“I played The Tin Man at primary school and got to skate to ‘Over The Rainbow’ on Dancing on Ice so it’s fair to say I’ve had a life-long love affair with the story. Your favourite characters are all there, telling the story you know and love … but with SO much more added to this new production. Prepare to be whisked into an amazing new world of colour.”

 

 

The Wizard of Oz runs at The Bristol Hippodrome between Tuesday 2 and Sunday 7 April 2024 – grab your tickets, HERE.

 

For a comprehensive list of what’s coming up at Bristol’s biggest theatre, head to The Bristol Hippodrome’s website.

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Article by:

Stanley Gray

Stan is a born and bred Bristolian, recently graduated from studying English Literature in Sheffield. His passions are music and literature and he spends the majority of his time in venues all over the city, immersing himself in Bristol’s alternative music scene. A lifelong Bristol City fan, Stan’s Saturdays are spent watching his team both home and away.