WICKED Kicks Off UK/International Tour at Alhambra Theatre Tonight

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is delighted to announce that Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba), Carly Anderson (Glinda), Bradley Jaden (Fiyero), Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), IdDon Jones (Boq), Emily Shaw (Nessarose) and Jodie Steele (Standby for Elphaba) will lead the cast at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from tonight 20 July 2016 (and on its subsequent international tour).

Over 25,000 tickets have already been sold for the much-anticipaTed Bradford engagement. For best availability choose Sunday matinees (2.30pm) and midweek performances, with tickets starting from just £21.50 (plus fees).

Wicked, which features the hit song 'Defying Gravity', will open at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford on Wednesday 20 July 2016 and play for 5 weeks only, until Sunday 21 August 2016. Bradford will be the only UK city to host the spectacular musical outside London in 2016. This critically acclaimed, multi record-breaking touring production will then travel directly to the MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, where it opens on 29 September 2016.Wicked will then continue touring internationally until January 2018.

Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba) starred in the UK & Ireland Tour of Wicked, playing the role of Elphaba on many occasions to great acclaim, and is currently appearing in the tour of Mary Poppins; Carly Anderson (Glinda) recently appeared in Sunset Boulevard at the London Coliseum and played the starring role of Kira in the London premiere of the musical Xanadu; Bradley Jaden (Fiyero) is currently starring as Enjolras in LES MISERABLES in the West End; popular Brooksidestar Steven Pinder returns to Wicked to play The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond; Kim Ismay, who has starred as Tanya in Mamma Mia! in the West End and on its International Tour, will play Madame Morrible; BAFTA® Cymru winner IdDon Jones will play Boq and Emily Shaw, who was in the original cast of Matilda, will play Nessarose. Jodie Steele, who has just completed a run in War of the Worlds in the West End, will be Standby for Elphaba.

The full cast of the Wicked UK/International Tour is confirmed as follows: Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba), Carly Anderson (Glinda), Bradley Jaden (Fiyero), Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), IdDon Jones (Boq), Emily Shaw (Nessarose), Jodie Steele (Standby for Elphaba), Kyle Anthony, Joe Atkinson, Sam Brown, Hannah Cadec, Joel Cooper, Nicholas Corre, James Davies-Williams, Natasha Ferguson,Elizabeth Futter, Zoe George, Amy Goodwin, Alex Jordan-Mills, Stuart MacIver, Tom Mather, Stacey McGuire, Sara Morley, Emily Olive Boyd, Wendy-Lee Purdy, Dean Read, Paul Saunders, Elisha Sherman, Joshua St Clair andHannah Veerapen.

Acclaimed as "a Wicked and wonderful vision of Oz" (London Evening Standard) and "a magical story of friendship, love and growing up" (OfficialLondonTheatre.com), the multi award-winning London production of Wicked continues its open-ended run at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it is now in its 10th year and already the 19th longest-running show in West End theatre history. Around the world, Wicked has now been seen by 50 million people in 14 countries, and won over 100 major awards.

Based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagined the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi Grammy® and Academy® Award-winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell; Disney's Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and is based on the novel 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by Gregory Maguire and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman. Musical staging is by Tony® Award-winner Wayne Cilento and the production is directed by two-time Tony® Award-winner Joe Mantello.

Wicked is produced around the world by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK/International Tour): Michael McCabe.

To book tickets, call the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

Official UK/International Tour website: www.WickedWorldwide.com