Wicked

Oz and its crafty Wizard have always been…Wicked tells the tale of what it was like just before Dorothy and her house fell from the sky. 

Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West has been described as a political, social, and ethical commentary on the nature of good and evil and whether good intentions with bad results are the same as bad intentions with bad results. With the central themes of bullying and persecution of those who are ‘different’ – Wicked lays the groundwork for our eventual journey to Oz.

It’s pivotal characters are Elphaba, the sensitive, green-tinged outsider who grows up to become the notorious Wicked Witch of the West and Galinda – beautiful, blonde and popular – who grows up to become the Good Witch of the South.

The story is Elphaba’s to tell – going back to the time when she and Galinda met in College, eventually becoming friends and travelling together to Oz to meet the Wizard.  The pressure of conscience on whether it is better to be ‘right’ or ‘popular’ causes a rift between them that sees Elphaba being misjudgingly cast out as the Wicked one. 

Misunderstandings, misplaced loyalties and misrepresentations form the foundation for this study into the contradictions of values and judgements, eventual redemption…and, of course – love.

Show stopping tunes, vibrant choreography and impressively crafted sets make the journey all the more rewarding.