Wicked: 15th Anniversary | Celebrating the wonderful Women who have played Elphaba!

Wicked has established itself as one of the biggest and best West End shows, originally opening on Broadway in 2003 it headed over here and opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 2006. Today we're celebrating 15 years of the show, and after the slight 'pause' the show has taken, it's come back better than ever and what a good time to celebrate its Birthday! In this piece, we look back at all the wickedly talented Women who have played Elphaba in the UK. From the London production to the tours! Which one was your favourite?!

Wicked in London 

Idina Menzel

September 7 2006 - December 30 2006

Kerry Ellis 

January 1 2007 - June 7 2008, December 1 2008 - May 9 2009, August 4 2014 - October 25 2014 

Alexia Khadime 

June 9 2008 - November 29 2008, May 11 2009 - March 27 2010 

Rachel Tucker 

March 29 2010 - October 27 2012, September 5 2016 - January 28 2017

The Corona Diaries: Alexia Khadime

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and share some peoples experiences because we are all in this together. Each day we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share their experiences with you all so take a read and see how people are getting through these hard times. 

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

Alexia Khadime is currently in the original London company of The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre, playing Miriam. Her other credits include Laura in The Distance You Have Come (Cockpit Theatre); Rita Marley in One Love (Birmingham Rep); Princess Tahlia in Sleeping Beauty (Hackney Empire); Nabalungi in The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales); Alice in Dick Whittington (Hackney Empire); Eponine in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre); Deb in Ordinary Days (Trafalgar Studios); Harmonia in Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre); Elphaba in Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre); Nala in The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre); Candy in Whistle Down the Wind (UK Tour); Ronnie Spector in Leader of the Pack (UK Tour) and Cinderella (Hackney Empire).

On Monday 16th March 2020, The Society of London Theatre announced the closure of all Theatres in London. This followed suit with regional venues. Where were you when you found out and what was your initial reaction? 

I was actually working out with some other castmates when PM made the announcement that people should avoid theatres bars and clubs, which was confusing as it wasn't direct. We did a vocal warm-up on stage followed by the covering for the show that day then our producers came on stage and announced that we would not be performing the show that night based on the PM announcement. I think we knew it was coming it was a matter of when. Broadway at this point was dark so we knew we were next. It was a very surreal feeling and emotions were high throughout the company. We had only really just begun our Prince of Egypt journey and it had been cut short. 

Can you tell us anything productive you’ve been doing?

Every day I work out with a few of my Prince of Egypt castmates via video call. It's a way to keep in touch, make sure we are all ok and keep active. Routine is very important for me as it such surreal times. I have also been doing Charity videos and online concerts. Also been doing some cake decorating, which I have loved forever, that along with knitting. I find it very therapeutic. (My mum taught me both when I was a kid). 

REVIEW: The Distance You Have Come at the Cockpit Theatre

The Distance You Have come is a song cycle that weaves some of the famous Scott Alan songs into a story line that centres around 6 characters. We all know and love Alans music from his countless cabarets over the years featuring the crème de la crème of the West End and for this production he has pulled together yet again a stunning cast. 

The story line consists of three couples who cross paths; we have two gay couples, one we see blossom and one see we destroyed, and a straight couple in which one of them has moved on and one of them is experiencing major depression. The storyline was too complicated for such a short piece and the lack of book meant we missed a lot of information so had to fill in the blanks ourselves. It was a bit of a mess and to be honest, not interesting in the slightest. 

The cast seemed to be more in the know of the storyline then we were, and this is not a good thing. The audience like to be one step ahead of the characters, not playing catch up because we’ve missed vital information.

WICKED 10: Alexia Khadime

Firstly, tell us what part you played and what year(s) you were in the company! 
Elphaba in 2008 then 2009-2010. 

Do you remember seeing WICKED for the first time? When and where was it?
The first time I saw Wicked I was in Chicago. It was in its early days still and I was visiting a friend who was doing Lion King at the time. I passed the theatre where wicked was playing in Chicago en route to meeting my friend. And decided to buy a ticket for that night. 

Did you ever think you’d be in the show one day?
I didn't. Even after seeing the show I didn't think I would do it. 

What is your best memory from your time at WICKED?
What was awesome was, although being nervous on my first night it was birthday so it was an awesome gift to be a part of such a fantastic show and the cast were just brilliant. 

WhatsOnStage Awards: Full List of Winners and Nominees

Best Actress in a Play

Winner: Helen Mirren The Audience (the Gielgud)

Nominees:

Anne-Marie Duff Strange Interlude (NT Lyttelton)
Hayley Atwell The Pride (Trafalgar Studios)
Helen Mirren The Audience (the Gielgud)
Suranne Jones Beautiful Thing (the Arts)
Tanya Moodie Fences (the Duchess)

Best Actor in a Play

Winner: Daniel Radcliffe The Cripple of Inishmaan (the Noël Coward)

Nominees: 

Ben Whishaw Peter and Alice (the Noël Coward) and Mojo (the Harold Pinter)
Daniel Radcliffe The Cripple of Inishmaan (the Noël Coward)

James McAvoy Macbeth (Trafalgar Studios)
Lenny Henry Fences (the Duchess)
Rory Kinnear Othello (the NT Olivier)

The In-Between: CD Review

The In-between is an up-coming musical written by Laura Tisdall. The show follows the story of Flick who has a sister named Alice. Their parents died in a car crash when they were both young so Alice has had to become a mother figure to Flick. Flick goes off the rails and rebels against her sister and one day she finds herself in the 'in-between' which is the space between parallel worlds. Flick must decide if she wants t go back to the world she knows with her Sister or go to the world where she can start again.
Laura has released a Concept album which is something that used to be done a lot; Andrew Lloyd Webber has done this with shows such as Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.This new musical has a rock theme which means all seven tracks on the album are anthems in their own right. The thing which makes an incredible musical song is something that tells a story but then can easily stand on its own feet. The only show that I can think of which features more than about two songs with these qualities is Wicked; on this album they all have this quality.

Alexia Khadime | Interview

Alexia Khadime is currently playing Eponine in Les Miserable at the Queens Theatre. Alexia's West End debut was in The Lion King where she appeared in the Ensemble and covered the role of Nala which she later returned to the show to play full time after her time playing Candy in the UK Tour of Whistle Down the Wind. She played the role of Nala for four years until she left the show in 2008. From June to November in 2008 she took over the role of Elphaba in Wicked while Kerry Ellis went over to Broadway to play the role, she later returned to the role in May 2009 and was succeeded by Rachel Tucker in 2010. After Wicked she was in Welcome to the Thebes at the Royal National Theatre and played Deb in Ordinary Days at Trafalgar Studios. Her TV credits include Grange Hill, The Bill, The Queens Nose and Comin' Atcha. She can be heard on Act One - Songs From The Musicals Of Alexander S. Bermange, her own single 'Ring' and the Amazing Grace and Pride film soundtracks. She was very kind to fit us in with her very busy schedule and to talk about her wonderful career...

Your career ranges from a wide variety of things, you must be very proud of all the things you've done in the past! Are there any special memories you have collected from these that stick out from the rest?

They are all just so different. What I like is they individually have helped me to grow as a performer so they all stick out for me. Something's have been bigger than other but hey all just really count a lot.

From doing TV and theatre you are obviously very familiar with the similarities and differences, what are your favourite and least favourite things about both?I like with theatre you get one chance and you can't say CUT. Least favourite thing is not getting to see family very much as we have 1 day off a week. TV is exciting because it's always changing like new lines etc, so you're always growing. Least favourite thing is the days can be very very very long and sometimes there lots of waiting around. I remember having call time at 6am and not finishing till really late!

Les Miserables the Musical: Theatre Review

On October 3rd 2011, Les Miserables celebrated its 26th anniversary making it the longest running musical in the West End. With the show having been performed in numerous places around the world it has also been translated into twenty one languages and performed in thirty eight countries.

The story follows Jean Valjean who is sentenced to 19 years in prison for stealing some bread. 

On his release he is taken in for the night by a Bishop who feeds him and provides him with shelter for the night, Jean Valjean gets up in the night and steals from him. He gets caught but the Bishop assures the authorities that they were a gift and he didn't steal them. The Bishop then tells Jean Valjean that he will have to change his ways because God has given him a second chance. Jean Valjean then takes on a new name and makes a new life for himself; he becomes a very successful business man and adopts a child, Cosette, who was given to him by her mother Fantine. Fantine was fired from her job because she was supporting a child who lived with two carers, she turns to prostitution but is saved by Jean Valjean and her dying wish is to have Cosette taken in by Jean Valjean in his care. Jean Valjean has to pay the two pub landlords who have used all the money they have received from Fantine on their own daughter, Eponine, to take Cosette off their hands.