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Ignoring the old theatrical dictum, 'Never act with children and animals,' the 'senior' cast of the Wizard of Oz piled in and gave assorted Munchkins and Winkies as good as they got. Toto the dog was, of course, unassailable and even stole the limelight in the foyer afterwards, being available for stroking, petting and for all I know, signing autographs. This was
an evening of magic, for those of us who saw the film the first time round, for children who had no idea what to expect and for everyone in between.
This production was a real achievement A singing; dancing and acting show needs expert and well co-ordinated direction and the efforts of Roger Stevens, Claire Evans and Andy Brown and their aides produced an apparently effortless and seamless result. Sheer hard work went into creating the series of imaginative and evocative sets which were operated splendidly by the stage crew. The effects were, well, highly effective and the video animation of the wizard a triumph as was the demise of the Witch of the West.
Before I exhaust my stock of hyperbole, a special word about the costumes and make-up; quite simply, magnificent and up to the highest professional standards. The Munchkins were a riot of imaginative design and colour, the Winkies truly martial in appearance and the monkeys, Planet of the Apes quality. The 'real-life' costumes were right in period and Glinda and the Witch of the West were dressed and made-up to perfection. The facial make-up for the Lion was magnificent and helped Don Brown to create a memorable character. Alpha plus, production team.
With such a team effort, most of this review is about the production as a whole but now to the actors. Bobby-soxed Antonia de Roche's Dorothy sparkled all the way through and sang enchantingly. Brenda Brooks' Aunt Em was straight from a forties black and white film; Lisa Arnold's Miss Gulch and Witch likewise. Dorothy's three sidekicks gave sterling support; Colin Clyde's melancholy Tinman, Tristan Cartel's upbeat Scarecrow and Don Brown's tremulous but irrepressible Lion. Uncle Henry was homely and, well, avuncular. The Jitterbug line was quite splendidly saucy and Laura Biyth's Glinda would grace any stage. The young teams of citizens, Munchkins, Winkies etc gave highly spirited performances and a great time was had by all, both on stage and in the audience. The very best of Theatre.  |
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