Wicked the Musical has recently celebrated its fifth birthday in the West End, the show has proven very popular with musical theatre fans as they continue to sustain a very strong fan base who remain dedicated to the show and support it constantly. I have reviewed this show twice before, but I recently saw the show with the new cast. A lot of the cast have left the show since I last saw it, so I wasinterested to be invited back to check them out.
Rachel Tucker
has remained with the production since coming into the company in March 2010;
ever since she first started she has just got better and better. She is as
strong as she has ever been. What I love about Tucker's interpretation of
Elphaba is that she understands the role, a lot of the portrayals I have seen
have been based around the singing aspect of the role and the actress's I've
seen don't have that much depth in their Elphaba, where as Rachel's does. Her
rendition of Defying Gravity and No Good Deed was the best I have ever heard;
her voice fills the theatre and is delightful while having an edge to it which
gives you shivers down your spine. Her chemistry with Gina Beck (Glinda) was
also wonderful; they have had some time to settle in since they have started and
their characters definitely work amazingly together and have a certain
connection which hasn't been portrayed like that before.
Gina Beck plays a
fresh Glinda, her voice is pure and a wonder to the ears. Glinda's comedic
parts in the show were done incredibly by her and she picked up on everything, in my opinion
she is the only Glinda in the London production that has actually paid attention
to who Glinda actually is, rather than focus on what happens to her on her
journey in the show. She had a great presence as Glinda and her journey through
the show also really contributed to her interpretation of the role.
Matt
Willis played a good Fiyero; he plays it different to any other Actor who has
played it before. His voice isn't that strong but his passion for Elphaba comes
through remarkably, his younger Fiyero was arrogant but also caring and not such
a mean character, but a cool lad. Julie Legrand has also been with the
company since March 2010, although I appreciate her portrayal as Madame
Morrible, she plays it too pantomime for me. Desmond Barrit returns to the
role of The Wizard after last performing the role in 2009 and he plays a good
Wizard, nothing special but nothing I didn't like about him, however he does
make the role seem a lot smaller in the musical than it actually is. Lillie
Flynn's Nessarose was fantastic, her voice was brilliant and fitted the role
perfectly
and her transition from Young Nessarose to older Nessarose was obvious, her
character development was remarkable. Adam Pettigrew was a cute Boq,
definitely one of the best Boq's in Wicked History. He had a lovely
vulnerability to him but he didn't play it as a desperate character, which I
loved!
Christopher Howell played Doctor Dillamond well; he also played a
very vulnerable version of the character as well as having the side of the
strong personality there as well. The ensemble of the show are amazing, one
of the best in the West End I'd say. All members of the ensemble were brilliant
in their own right, with a special mention for Chlöe Hart, Alex Louise Bird,
Sophie Carmen-Jones, Paulo Teixeira and Oliver Watton.
The show is brilliant; it
remains to be a West End favourite and is still, after five years, astounding
audiences. This cast in particular are astonishing, very talented bunch of
people. If there's one show you see this year, I would recommend this one.
Rating: ****
Wicked the Musical is playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre
