Photos: Inside Rehearsal For THE WIZARD OF OZ at Leicester Curve

There's no place like Curve this Christmas as the theatre reveals the full cast of its festive musical The Wizard of Oz. Check out rehearsal photos below!

Running in Leicester Saturday 19 November 2022 to Sunday 8 January 2023, the previously announced Georgina Onuorah (Dorothy) will be joined by Leicestershire's Jonny Fines (Curve's My Beautiful Laundrette and An Officer and a Gentleman) as Scarecrow, Paul French (Curve's Grease, Dominion Theatre) as Tin Man and Giovanni Spanó (Bat Out Of Hell, London Coliseum) as Lion. Ben Thompson (101 Dalmatians, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre) will take on the role of Dorothy's canine companion Toto, brought to life on stage using puppetry.

Stage, screen and YouTube sensation Christina Bianco will play Glinda, while Charlotte Jaconelli (Heathers the Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket and Britain's Got Talent runner-up) will join as the Wicked Witch of the West. Leicester actor Mark Peachey, who first made his Curve debut in the theatre's community production of Richard III and has recently appeared in Dear Evan Hansen in the West End, will take on the role of Professor Marvel and the Wizard.

Dorothy's Aunt Em will be played by Jacqui Dubois (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, UK tour) and Uncle Henry will be played by Geoffrey Aymer, who was last seen on Curve's stage in the WhatsOnStage Award-winning Made at Curve production of The Color Purple.

The cast is completed by Andrew Dillon, Jonathan Dryden Taylor, Martin McCarthy, Ellie Mitchell, Natasha Mould, Mervin Noronha, Amy Oxley, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Christina Shand, Charlotte St. Croix, Tom Watson and Daisy West.

The Made at Curve production of The Wizard of Oz will be directed by Curve's Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, whose recent productions have included the acclaimed Billy Elliot the Musical, Beautiful - The Carole King Musical, A Chorus Line and Grease, which is currently running at the Dominion Theatre.

This production of The Wizard of Oz marks the regional premiere of the musical which features additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, as well as Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's iconic songs from the original MGM film, including 'Over the Rainbow', 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' and 'We're Off to see the Wizard'.

The production will be choreographed by Shay Barclay, with George Dyer as Musical Director and Musical Supervisor. The spectacular world of Oz will be created on Curve's stage by set designer Colin Richmond, with projection designs by Douglas O'Connell, costume and puppet design by Rachael Canning, lighting design by Curve Associate Ben Cracknell and sound design by Adam Fisher.

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