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

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

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 Glinda in the UK. From the London production to the tours! Which one was your favourite?!

Wicked in London

Helen Dallimore 

September 7 2006 - July 14 2007

Dianne Pilkington 

July 16 2007 - March 27 2010

Louise Dearman 

March 29 2010 - December 10 2011

Gina Beck 

December 12 2011 - November 16 2013

Kerry Ellis & Louise Dearman complete cast of THE FOSSE FOREST BALLET

Kerry Ellis & Louise Dearman complete the cast of Philip Joel’s “The Fosse Forest Ballet” 

Written by David Muscat and directed by Racky Plews produced by Emerge Production House the full cast are Philip Joel, Kerry Ellis, Louise Dearman, Oliver Savile, Zoë Birkett, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, David Muscat, Amy Bailey & Nuwan Hugh Perera. 

Kerry Ellis and Louise Dearman are best known for their roles in Wicked; Ellis was the first British Elphaba and also the first Brit to transfer over to the Broadway production. She has also appeared in shows such as Les Miserables, We Wil Rock You, Oliver, Miss Saigon, Cats and Wonderland. Louise Dearman was the first actor to have portrayed both Elphaba and Glinda in the production, other shows she has appeared in include Evita, Guys and Dolls, Kiss Me, Kate and Side Show.

The team behind “The Fosse Forest Ballet” aim to raise £10,000 for Theatres Trust and Acting For Others.

Acting for Others provides financial and emotional support to all theatre workers in times of need through the 14 member charities.

DREAM CASTING: The Greatest Showman

Ramin Karimloo | P.T Barnum

Louise Dearman | Charity Hallett-Barnum

THEN AND NOW: Wicked the Musical

Wicked has a huge place in the musical theatre hall of Fame now, being an international hit the show still runs on Broadway after 15 years and 12 years in the West End. Although the show hasn't changed very much from the original Broadway production, we look back at the years the show has been running across a few productions. The original Broadway production, one of the first West End companies, the non-replica production in Copenhagen, a few different companies along the West End run and the current cast we have here in London. Take a look and share your favourite moments of the show with us on Twitter! @PocketSizeBlog #PocketThenNow  

Elphaba

Idina Menzel (2003), Kerry Ellis (2007), Maria Lucia (2011), Louise Dearman (2012) & Alice Fearn (2018)

Glinda

Krsitin Chenoweth (2003), Helen Dallimore (2007), Annette Heick (2011), Chandra Lee Schwartz (2012) & Sophie Evans (2018) 

EVITA: A look back at the history of the great women who have played the icon

EVITA is currently playing a limited run at the West Ends Phoenix Theatre, it celebrates its 40th Anniversary next year having first opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in 1978. As a celebration of the show, we look back at some of the woman who have played this icon around the world. Click here to book tickets.

Elaine Paige

The original Eva Peron

Patti Lupone 

The Original Eva Peron on Broadway

15 of the Best West End Duos!

Following from last weeks feature (15 Most Memorable Performances I've seen) the Pocket team have been thinking about the best Duos that have been on the West End recently. 

So, in no particular order, here is our list... 

Sierra Boggess & Ramin Karimloo in Love Never Dies

Justin Lee Collins & Simon Lipkin in Rock of Ages

15 of the most Memorable performances I've ever seen

I was looking through a bunch of my old programmes and it got me thinking about some of the fantastic performances I have seen over my years of going to the theatre. So I've put together a list of some of my most favourite and most memorable performances I've had the pleasure of watching. 

So, in no particular order... 

Oliver Thornton as Adam (Felicia) in Priscilla Queen of the Desert 

Katherine Kingsley as Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain

10 stagey YouTube videos you need to watch!

If you're a bit of a theatre geek like myself then these videos will make your stagey bone tickle with joy. Heres just a selection of 10 videos taken from youtube, Have any more stagey videos to add to the list? Tweet them to me! @PocketSizeBlog 

WATER BABIES releases Official Trailer

Directed by Ed Curtis, with music by Chris Egan, and book and lyrics by Ed Curtis and Guy Jones, this enthralling new musical, with landmark special effects, will open on 6 May, with previews from the 24 April, and run until 17 May. Cementing its reputation for staging major new musicals, Curve sets Water Babies on its journey.

Tom, our orphaned teenage hero, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit. In a desperate attempt to escape capture he is trapped on the edge of a waterfall. His only choice is to jump. Awakening in the depths of the ocean he encounters the mysterious Mrs D, and a whole new world of enchantment, danger and adventure. Desperate to get back to the girl he loves Tom must brave underwater challenges in a world beyond his wildest imagination. Together with the unlikeliest of friends he embarks on a quest to find a way back to land. However he soon finds it's not just his fate he holds in his hands, but also that of the mysterious and elusive gang of Water Babies. It's time for Tom to face his worst fears…it's time to believe in himself and that anything is possible.

Louise Dearman stars in the World Première of Water Babies

Louise Dearman will lead the cast of the world première of a brand new musical inspired by Charles Kingsley’s classic novel, The Water Babies. The first actress to have played both Glinda and Elphaba in the global smash-hit musical Wicked, Dearman makes her Curve debut as Mrs D.

Directed by Ed Curtis, with music by Chris Egan, and book and lyrics by Ed Curtis and Guy Jones, this enthralling new musical, with landmark special effects, will open on 6 May, with previews from the 24 April, and run until 17 May. Cementing its reputation for staging major new musicals, Curve sets Water Babies on its journey.

Tom, our orphaned teenage hero, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit. In a desperate attempt to escape capture he is trapped on the edge of a waterfall. His only choice is to jump. Awakening in the depths of the ocean he encounters the mysterious Mrs D, and a whole new world of enchantment, danger and adventure. Desperate to get back to the girl he loves Tom must brave underwater challenges in a world beyond his wildest imagination. Together with the unlikeliest of friends he embarks on a quest to find a way back to land. However he soon finds it's not just his fate he holds in his hands, but also that of the mysterious and elusive gang of Water Babies. It's time for Tom to face his worst fears…it's time to believe in himself and that anything is possible.