Wicked Will Celebrate 12th Birthday On The West End Tomorrow

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical sensation that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, will celebrate its landmark 12th birthday tomorrow (27 September 2018) at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre, where the "hugely popular show" (The Times) continues an open-ended run.

Now seen by more than 9 million people in London alone, and a further 1.9 million people in cities across the UK and Ireland, Wicked remains "one of the most popular West End musicals ever" (Evening Standard).

WICKED is already the 5th longest running musical currently playing in the West End, alongside Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia! and Disney's The Lion King.

On Saturday 8th December 2018, Wicked will play its 5141st performance, surpassing the run of Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story to become the 13th longest running show in West End history.

A second record-breaking UK & Ireland Tour of Wicked is currently playing at Sunderland Empire (until Saturday 29 September 2018). The production then moves to Southampton and Cardiff before concluding with a Christmas engagement at the Manchester Palace Theatre, where the first touring production originally premiered in 2013.

"A global mega-smash" (Variety), Wicked has already been seen by over 55 million people in more than 130 cities in 16 countries around the world.

The London production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical is the recipient of ten theatregoer-voted WhatsOnStage Awards (winning 'Best West End Show' on three occasions), two Olivier Audience Awards and an Evening Standard Theatre Award.

WICKED UK Executive Producer Michael McCabe said: "We are thrilled to be celebrating twelve remarkable years at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. We'd like to offer heartfelt thanks to all of our incredible staff, casts and companies that have all worked so tirelessly and passionately to deliver every single performance of Wicked since 2006. Congratulations to you all on this stunning achievement. Our thanks also go to our amazing audiences whose unwavering support has enabled us to become one of the West End's longest running and most popular shows."

WICKED currently stars Alice Fearn (Elphaba), Sophie Evans (Glinda), David Witts (Fiyero), Melanie La Barrie (Madame Morrible), Andy Hockley (The Wizard), Chris Jarman (Doctor Dillamond), Rosa O'Reilly (Nessarose), Jack Lansbury (Boq), Laura Pick (Standby for Elphaba) and Carina Gillespie & Maria Coyne* (Standby for Glinda). *Maternity cover.

Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagines 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 Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell; Disney's Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted and, for DreamWorks, The Prince of Egypt) 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 (My So-Called Life). 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) Michael McCabe.

Through its FOR GOOD programme and other charitable endeavours, Wicked is proud to support the remarkable work of the following UK charities: the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA); Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (GOSH Charity), the National Literacy Trust and the Woodland Trust. Further information can be found at www.WickedForGood.co.uk