The Wizard of Oz Reviews

MUMof1 from London, England

“DEFINITELY NOT IN KANSAS NOW, TOTO!”

I’ve no idea which were the munchkins either. No-one was munchkin-esque and I didn’t hear any of the classic munchkins songs. The puppet version of Toto didn’t work, completely lacked the cuteness factor and the person operating it, leaping all over the stage to make the puppet come to life, was maddeningly distracting. The flying monkeys NOT flying, was disappointing and totally missed a trick. The background videos of a New York skyline (with strange rockets and space-ships) while Dorothy was supposed to be in Oz was definitely puzzling. Most characters were so poorly developed that it was difficult to care about them at all. I would put Dorothy, firmly in this category, along with the straw-man, tin-man and the aunt and uncle. A bit like biting into a cheese sandwich to find that it contains only a tiny shred of day-old lettuce… I can understand why traditionalists could be outraged by all this. HOWEVER, I personally, embrace change and I’m excited by unusual takes on traditional productions. Some of the quirky updates here were amusing, such as the good witch entering and exiting the stage on a bright pink Vespa instead of appearing in the classic puff of smoke. I also liked the tin-man doing a bit of body-popping. The singing by the cast who appeared in Wimbledon was generally strong, with Dorothy’s voice and that of the good witch surprisingly impressive. Overall, despite being confused even now about whether I saw a musical or a pantomime (in March!) and about whether we should have been quiet or shouting out “He’s BEHIND you” at the appropriate points, I actually enjoyed the show and admired the huge amounts of energy that the cast put in right till the very end. It’s just a shame that we spent most of the show constantly pining for the real stars - the endearingly sweet Lion and the seething evil witch - to come back on stage. They were both fantastic and, along, with the great music, carried the entire show.

Carole from Manchester, England

DISAPPOINTED

Worst show I’ve been to. ! terrible costumes and scenery and the musical arrangement was disappointing. I felt someone had tried to hard to update it. Felt very chaotic. I left during the interval as really didn’t enjoy it.

Kathy from Manchester, England

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Wicked Witch - Excellent STAR of the SHOW Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man- very entertaining and carried the Show Munchins - waste of time / unbelievable Puppeteer and TOTO - very good although disappointed initially that it wasn't a real dog but appreciate why it couldn't be. Dorothy - could sing but not believable and lacking in Stage Presence. I actually wanted the Witch to Kill her. Glinda - Brilliant Scooter but 2nd Rate "Barbie Wanna Be" Performance. Overall Comments: Long Production / too long Special Effects- very noisy but some were good. Bright & Colourful Stage Sets. Slightly confusing as to whether it was a Musical Theatre Experience or an Expensive Pantomime Production?

Pamela White from Woking, England

LOUD

Saw today in Woking and generally it was much too loud and had trouble to understand what the characters were saying due to the not very good American accents. Completely spoilt it for General ly

Julie Ashcroft from Portsmouth

AFTERNOON IN OZ

Was disappointed the munchkins were normal size (is that as to not insult smaller people ) . Stand out CRH as the witch, the scarecrow and dorothy. But id give it 5/10 as someone who has seen alot of shows

Ersan kara from London, England

BIG DISAPPOINTMENT

Terrible show. Low profile and low budget. Just waste of time and money

Stuart Palmer from London, England

WAS THE SET UPSCALED FROM A SCHOOL PRODUCTION?

Flying monkeys, the wicked witch zooming in from above, pitch perfect singing and memorable songs . . . are just a few of the things you would expect - but will not find in this production. Gary Wilmot and Dianne Pilkington are stand out performers with almost all the cast being at the very least competent. Unfortunately both the big names brought in for star appeal fail to hold a single note. If their parts were just cameos then it might have been fine, but as central characters it rather marred the whole show. The tickets were cheap, bought at release, and my wife says it is no worse than many of the 10 week fillers we have seen at the Palladium. If you are thinking of buying some cheap tickets - do so, just keep your expectations like the cast, firmly on the ground.

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