Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Birmingham Rep for THE WIZARD OF OZ

Follow the yellow brick road for the ultimate family adventure at Birmingham Repertory Theatre this Christmas as Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion go in search of the wonderful Wizard of Oz. This new staging of the legendary musical opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on Saturday 24 November and runs until Sunday 13 January.

In a bold, yet faithful reimagining, The REP's spectacular new production features beloved songs from the Oscar winning movie score such as If I Only Had A Heart, Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead and Somewhere Over The Rainbow, all the favourite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way.

The Wizard of Oz is the well-known tale of Dorothy and her faithful dog, Toto as they flee from the clutches of the evil Miss Gulch only to find themselves lost in a strange and wonderful new world. There they meet a Scarecrow in need of a brain, a Tin Man wanting a heart and a Lion lacking courage. Together they follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City in search of answers from the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard of Oz.

Clicking their heels and skipping down the yellow brick road will be a company of 16 actors, directed and choreographed by Liam Steel.

Chisara Agor will play Dorothy with Kelly Agbowu as the Lion / Zeke, Shanay Holmes as Glinda / Aunt Em, Lorna Laidlaw as The Wizard / Professor Marvel, Dillon Scott-Lewis as Tin Man / Hickory, Jos Vantyler as the Wicked Witch / Miss Gulch, Thomas Vernal as Uncle Henry / Oz Guard and Ed Wade as Scarecrow / Hunk,

The Oz company will also feature Rhys Batten, Jade Davies, Luke Fraser Yates, Zak Nemorin, Kerri Norville, Elisha Sherman, Emily Squibb and Ben Thompson. The cast is completed by three local dogs, Lulu, Rio and Teddy, taking on the role of Dorothy's loveable companion, Toto.

Director Liam Steel said:

"The Wizard of Oz is a story packed with memorable moments and marvellous music, but at its heart is a journey of self-discovery. I can't wait to bring a fresh, authentic take, and a bit of sass to this glorious musical with a great company of actors."

Liam Steel is a multi-award winning director and choreographer whose most recent credit includes choreographer for the highly-acclaimed West End production of Stephen Sondheim'sCompany. His work has included creating productions for The National Theatre, The Globe, RSC, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Royal Court, Manchester Royal Exchange, Chichester Festival Theatre, Frantic Assembly and many more. He is a core collaborator at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and has worked on ten productions there over ten seasons, including co-directing and choreographing Sondheim's Into The Woods, which was awarded an Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. He has created many award winning contemporary dance commissions, choreographed for Musical Theatre on the West End and Broadway. In the commercial sector his work includes creating all the musical staging and choreography for the film version of the musical Les Misérables - winner of 3 Oscars, 4 BAFTAS and 3 Golden Globes - including Best Motion Picture.

The Wizard of Oz will be designed by Angela Davies with costume and puppet designs by Samuel Wyer, lighting design by Nick Richings and sound design by Paul Groothius. George Dyer is the Musical Director.

The Wizard of Oz opens at The REP from 24 November - 13 January. Tickets are on sale now and available from 0121 236 4455 / birmingham-rep.co.uk

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