West End WICKED Launches 8th Year; Extends Booking Thru Nov. 2014

WICKED, the Olivier Award-winning West End musical that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, flies into its 8th year at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and announces the launch of its 16th new booking period, on Monday 2 September 2013 at 10.00am, with tickets going on sale over a year in advance until Saturday 1 November 2014.

Acclaimed as "one of the most popular West End musicals ever" (London Evening Standard), the London production of the global musical phenomenon has already been seen by over 5 million people since its premiere in September 2006. While continuing its open-ended London run, a major new production will also be touring the UK and Ireland, beginning at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on 12 September 2013.

Acknowledged as "a major hit with audiences and critics alike" (BBC London News), theatregoers' votes have secured the show numerous accolades (including the Olivier Award for Most Popular Show, the Whatsonstage.com Award for Best West End Show (twice) and Best New Musical, and the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Night Out), while in a five-star review for The Sunday Telegraph, theatre critic Tim Walker wrote: "it is magnificent to see a musical that manages to be both populist and intelligent at the same time" (Sunday 1 October, 2006).

Wicked currently stars: Louise Dearman (Elphaba), Gina Beck (Glinda), Ben Freeman (Fiyero), Harriet Thorpe (Madame Morrible), Keith Bartlett (The Wizard), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond), Sam Lupton (Boq),

Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose), Hayley Gallivan (Standby Elphaba) and Lucy van Gasse (Standby Glinda).

From Monday 18 November 2013 it will star: Willemijn Verkaik (Elphaba), Savannah Stevenson (Glinda), Jeremy Taylor (Fiyero), Sue Kelvin (Madame Morrible), Sam Kelly (The Wizard), Paul Clarkson (Doctor Dillamond); Sam Lupton (Boq), Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose), Emma Hatton (Standby Elphaba) and Sophie Linder-Lee (Standby Glinda).

Wicked has music and lyrics by Academy Award winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman and is directed by two-time Tony Award winner and Olivier Award nominee Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the best-selling novel, 'Wicked - The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West', by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is produced by: Marc Platt, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt

and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK): Michael McCabe.

Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Wicked spearheads and supports a range of good causes born out of the themes of the award-winning musical. Discover more at: www.WickedForGood.co.uk