On Thursday 4th July, myself and the birthday girl took to London and arrived at Victoria Station, and what is just outside Victoria...But the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and at nights it gleams Green for its home show Wicked! Having seen Wicked in 2009, I just had to see it 4 years later to see if was still at good as it was... and it succeeded.
Apollo Victoria Theatre, is one of the big wide ones in London. 2009 I was sat in the stalls on the right hand side however this was quite a restricted view as I didn't get to see the Lion scene as there were students blocking our view, so this time I went higher in the Circle, row P seats 12 and 13 costing me £35 which is one of the cheapest fees of the tickets, and its very rare to find Wicked on a theatre offer, as most nights its sold out! and still a high demanding show to go and see! Our view was high up but you could see everything and the dragon puppet up above was amazing to watch.
Now onto the show. Wicked is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, with music and lyrics by the amazing Stephen Schwartz. It tells the untold story of the Witches of OZ, Glinda the Good, and the Wicked Witch of the West, or better known in this musical Elphaba. The story follows the two and their journey from school to the real world, and how the enemies become friends, and how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West. I'm pretty sure Wicked is a musical that everyone knows about, even if it just from the songs "Defying Gravity" and "Popular" and the fact the Idina Menzel was the original Elphaba someway or another you would know about this musical, and if you don't where have you been??? :-P but really it really is a story of what happened before Dorothy dropped in!
From up above the scenery looked amazing, based a lot around a clock with the mechanics of the inside always on show, and how the change in scenery is helped along with a turning wheels of a clock, and shows that throughout the show the dials of time are always going. But with such a wide space they throughout fill the space! with dancers and the actors, and the Dragon puppet that overlooks it all it always exciting to watch! Below is my view from my seat, as it was taken by my iphone so it may look further but the view was brilliant!
When I bought the tickets I double checked the website and had a looked at who was playing in the current cast, and from that I found out that it was Louise Dearman's night off so I was aware that the Understudy would be performing, and for once I didn't mind, I would have minded if Fiyero's understudy was playing and luckily he wasn't! So the nights cast list was:
Glinda - Gina Beck
Elphaba - Hatley Gallivan. (understudy)
Nessarose-Katie Rowley Jones.
Boq-Sam Lupton
Madame Morrible-Harriet Thorpe
Fiyero-Ben Freeman
The Wizard of Oz- Christopher Howell (understudy)
So I am going to discuss the has as the order they came out in the stage door, as yes I waited for them all, as its quite close to the exit and opposite the station its quite easy to wait and meet them!
So First out the door that night was Christopher Howell, who normally plays Dr. Dillamond usually in the show was tonight however playing The Wizard of Oz. He was a younger than the usual age for the Wizard, but either way he was very good and I enjoyed him being the cunning and wise Oz, yet inside he showed just how cowardly he really is!
Next out was Sam Lupton, who is playing Boq in his west end debut! I have seen Sam before as he was Princeton and Rod in the Avenue Q tour, and he was very good in that so, and because of this I was really interested to see how he would perform with out the puppet in hand but as himself, and Boq himself is quite a comic yet sympathetic part because he loves Glinda who does not return the feelings back, so during the school years he follows her round like a little puppy (which is where we see alot of the comic moments from Boq) but then when we go on we sympathise with him as he becomes trap in a love that he does not wish to have with Nessarose (you will have to see the show to understand). Sam Lupton was a very good actor to be Boq with his acting and his characteristics, and at times your could see a little Princeton show during his performance, especially the moment when Glinda touches him!
Then Close behind was Katie Jones, who I had returned to reprise her role as Nessarose, who I had actually seen when I saw the show the first time around, and she was just like she was the first time around, and this time I was so happy to get to meet her.
Then another Reprisal in Wicked with Harriet Thorpe playing Madame Morrible once again and again she was the Madame Morrible I had seen the first time around! I loved her playing Madame as she really has the character inside to play the sweet and innocent Morrible, but really she is the sly, conceiving lady who at first you feel is there to help but really has a terrible plan and a evil on. Harriet really does show the difference in character, and with it comes great comic timing.
Then after the removal of the green make up Hayley Gallivan came out, along with Gina Beck, Hayley I can see why she is the standby or Elphaba she blew me away, at first I was quite anxious when she started to sing, but once she hit the powerful notes she was breathtaking, and her acting was so Elphaba! Even my friend gasped and Wowed when she belted out the final vocals for 'Defying Gravity' loved her!
Then with Gina Beck she gives me hope! as she is brunette and brown eyed and yet she plays the strong willed, sweet and innocent Glinda, and gives me hope that I can hopefully maybe one day in another dimension I can perform Glinda! Gina did a great job, the only criticism I could make was for to maybe slow down a few of her lines, and some comic moments in the show was lost in some of her songs, although if you had watched it for the first time it would be something that you wouldn't have noticed or worried about. But other wise she was lovely to watch and great and being the preppy Glinda that everyone loves and enjoys, and even afterwards I found out that we attended the same school in Alresford, Perins community school, just wish I could have mentioned that when I was talking to her but I wasn't aware. (photo below Hayley middle, Gina Right)
And closely last behind was Ben Freeman, known for is role in Emmedale he now hits the stage in the dancing and singing role of Fiyero. Now the last time I saw this show Oliver Tompsett was playing Fiyero...and we all know how much I love him! and yes he was an amazing Fiyero. So does Ben Freeman come to his standards...I would like to say yes but i'm finding it hard, yes Ben had his own take on Fiyero, who knows he's good looking and one fore the ladies and cocky but at the end we see him as sweet and handsome and that he learns that love is what's in the inside even though Elphaba is beautiful also. once again Oliver Tompsett is trained to perform on stage it is the only thing he has done, and has had limited time on telly, Ben is mostly used to the TV so you can tell the difference in acting from film to theatrical and it does show in his performance in my opinion sometimes when tv starts portray and acting role they feel that they need to perform stronger and sometimes that can come over as over the top or a little to much. Although I was pleasantly surprised to find that he had a very nice and warm voice whilst singing his solos in Dancing Through Life, and As Long as Your Mine, which was nice to see as if you haven't got the voice for Fiyero then your not Fiyero!
And so ended the cast meet and greet at the stage door and I returned back to Waterloo (which was an eventful travel ending in a very poorly toe from a very painful escalator, I knew there was a reason I like to walk around London and avoid taking the underground) with a smile on my face after an another amazing night in the theatre, and seeing Wicked again... and yes I would defiantly see it again! But maybe this time I would try and see if I can get centre stalls or in the front circle seats...though I am aware that these are quite expensive seats.
