Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ, King's Theatre

First opening at Leicester Curve in 2022 ahead of its West End run at the London Palladium last summer, this production of The Wizard of Oz has embarked on its first UK ahead of a return to London in August.

Dorothy Gale lives with her Aunt and Uncle in Kansas. She dreams of a life beyond what she has on the farm. A catastrophic storm hits and her house is carried away- with her in it. She lands in the magical Munchkinland, accidentally killing the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy sets out on a quest to find her way back home and makes new friends as she goes.

Aviva Tulley makes for a sublime Dorothy. She has the right measure of pluckiness and likeability and performs the sweetest "Over The Rainbow". Dorothy is a confident and courageous young woman who befriends a scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), a lion (Nic Greenshields) and a man made of tin (Femi Akinfolarin) who help her on her adventure. Dorothy is trying to return to Kansas and each of her friends feels they have a quality they are lacking and hope the so-called wonderful wizard of Oz can provide them.

Standing in their way is the Wicked Witch of the West, a woman who is perhaps understandably upset that this stranger killed her sister and then took her shoes. Craig Revel Horwood seems to appeal to the masses despite playing the role of the Wicked Witch of the West as pure panto. He gets the laughs but it feels out of place in this otherwise slick musical theatre production.

The core four work so well together and the yellow brick road scenes are brilliant. This production also shines during the full ensemble numbers, "Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead" and "The Merry Old Land Of Oz". A highlight of the show is Abigail Matthews' performance as Toto. The puppet's movement is fantastic and so realistic, that you'll quickly forget that it's not a real dog onstage. 

If you're a fan of the film then you'll almost certainly have a good time at The Wizard of Oz. This big and bright production has a lot of heart, brains and courage. 

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