Review: THE PURE AMAZING WIZ OF OZ, Websters Theatre, Glasgow

Dotty (Claire Hubsmith) works as a PR for the Garage nightclub but she dreams of being a big star. She gets swept up in a big storm and finds herself in another world where she has landed on a witch and inherited her ruby red Doc Martens much to the annoyance of the Wicked Witch of the West End. Now Dotty must go on a journey to meet the Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz and return home.

Bursting onto stage belting out "And You Don't Even Know It" from Everybody's Talking About Jamie Neil Thomas plays the Wicked Witch of the West End. Sassy and witty, it leads to some conflicting feelings when it comes to the traditional panto participation- you're meant to boo but you want to cheer. Thomas cackles and shouts "aren't I fabulous?' well, yes, you are actually. So much so I found myself rooting for the Wicked Witch instead of Dotty!

There are a lot of great songs in this panto but everything is performed pretty much in full. There are some excellent voices in the cast but two full length songs from The Greatest Showman, "One Short Day" from Wicked and a host of pop songs definitely felt like they could have been cut slightly shorter. The highlight for the children in the audience seems to be when they get to join in and during some of these big musical numbers they started to get a bit restless.

On Dotty's travels she encounters Scarecrow (Alessandro Sanguigni), Tin Wuman (Melissa Davie) and Lioness (Lee Reynolds) who are all in search of something themselves and accompany Dotty to meet the Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz.

The Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz may not have the budget of some of the other pantomimes in Glasgow but the quality of performers is just as high. The tickets are reasonably priced and the smaller venue increases the odds of catching sweeties- very important stuff. Although there could have been a little more involving the children in the panto, The Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz is great storytelling from a talented cast.

The Pure Amazing Wiz of Oz runs at Websters Theatre, Glasgow until 4 January.

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