(AD – PRESS NIGHT) THE WIZARD OF OZ HULL REVIEW
HULL NEW THEATRE
THURSDAY 25TH JANUARY 2024 @ 7.30PM
**** 4/5
The first press night of the year was a trip down the yellow brick road. The Wizard of Oz is a favourite for many, whether they’re 6 or 86! Here’s The Wizard of Oz Hull review of this West End transfer to a touring production
PRE-SHOW THOUGHTS
Of course, it’s one of my favourite movie musicals of all time. Judy Garland is a massive hero of mine too and it’s one of her best. However, I made sure to try to get the movie out of my mind as well as the performances in the movie. I’ve never seen the Wizard of Oz on stage before either so I didn’t know if there would be any differences from the film.
THE CAST
Let’s start once again by saying this entire cast is one of the most talented I’ve ever seen. Everyone is a triple threat, whether they have a named role or are in the ensemble. Aviva Tulley as Dorothy is a triumph. She commands the stage whenever she’s on it (which is most of the show) and she plays Dorothy vulnerable yet feisty. She’s so confident in this role and I’m excited for the rest of her musical career.
The friends she makes along the way in Oz are the Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), the Tin Man (Marley Fenton) and the Cowardly Lion (Nic Greenshields). All three get a starring moment, filled with humour and character. Yates has been one of my favourite performers since I saw him as Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys. Fenton has all the moves and Greenshields has the comedy down to a tee.
The Vivienne stars as the Wicked Witch of the West. I don’t watch RuPaul’s Drag Race so I’m not as familiar with them as many others in the audience seemed to be. However, she was phenomenal in this role. Whenever she was on stage, she commanded your attention and I didn’t know her vocals were so powerful either!
Emily Bull as Glinda had a gorgeous voice and range and she added lots of sparkle during her scenes. Tyler Ephraim was Toto’s puppeteer and talk about an exhausting job. Whenever Dorothy is on stage, Toto is by her side so Ephraim had a maximum of five minutes off stage! Toto might have been a puppet but he had a larger-than-life personality!
THE MUSIC
There are a few additional songs along with the classics from the movie. However, most are with new arrangements. I’m not 100% sold on the modernisation of some of them. they were a little too funky for me!
Another negative for me was the sound. It was so loud that the musicians drowned out the singing at multiple points. Unless it was just the microphones that needed adjusting, it’s often been a problem at Hull New Theatre.
THE PRODUCTION
Everything else about the production was outstanding. The costuming was a particular highlight for me. With touring productions, the costumes often feel a little cheap but there’s nothing cheap about this set of costumes. Everything is vibrant and detailed and trust me, there were a lot of costumes!
The set design is extremely modern, with lighting being a key detail throughout. I loved the colourful displays around the trim of the stage and the incorporation of the Yellow Brick Road was definitely innovative! But I wasn’t overly impressed with the use of the projected screens every so often. I know they were used to set the scene but the set pieces and backdrops did that more than enough.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re looking for a traditional version of the movie musical, this is not that. However, if you’re looking for a vibrant, updated version of the classic, it’ll be right up your street. Whilst it wasn’t perfect and a little odd in places, the talented cast and incredible costumes made up for some of the areas that I wasn’t so keen on.
The Wizard of Oz tour continues through until the end of summer so you can find a tour stop near you. If you enjoyed The Wizard of Oz Hull review, my other theatre reviews can be found here too. Follow me on Instagram and Instagram for more stagey trips.
PS This review has been written as an exchange for free press night tickets.
