The Wizard of Oz : A Wicked Pantomime

We all know the world is a little obsessed with all things Wicked at the moment, but what happens when you take that, throw in Dorothy and a lot of Black Country humour? You get A Wicked Pantomime, in every sense!

It has all the traditional elements of a tornado whisking Dorothy over the rainbow, a pair of Ruby Crocs (!) and a journey down the yellow brick road in search of a way home to Kansas. Meeting a Scarecrow, a Tin Man and a Cowardly Lion along the way, who are all on a search of their own.

Walsall’s favourite Dame, (Darren Haywood), returns as Glinda (The Good Wench of Walsall). The jokes are delivered perfectly and mostly go over the children’s heads, luckily, but the adults are having a wonderful time, it is clear to see why they return year on year.

Dorothy is played by Nicola Harris-Smith who has great characterisation and strong vocals. Sophie Tuffnell as The Wicked Witch doesn’t need to do much to get the audience to ‘boo and hiss’ as they take to her character immediately with a love/hate adoration.

Dorothy is joined by her companions of Scarecrow (Rhys Jones) a funny, character driven performance, Lion (Megan Brayne) playing a nice amount of comedy and cuteness to be the children’s favourite and Tinman (Matthew Harris-Smith) whose movement encompasses the role faultlessly.

Simon Lilley’s writing, (he also directs alongside Toni Lilley) is most definitely aimed at the older generations in the audience, the many nods to the movie of Wicked and its characters are very clever and well placed and its musical numbers are chosen well to integrate into the story, without seeming out of place. The only criticism would be that the alternative ‘ghost gag’ scene, as we are introduced to the Lion, could have been set up stronger, but the idea is well placed as an alternative take on a traditional pantomime staple.

Jamie Harley’s Lighting and Drew White’s Sound Design complement the piece well and Emily Bellingham’s choreography is pleasing to watch, but some routines would have benefitted from stronger characterisation from the dancers.

Overall, the production is very funny and perfect for all of the family of any age to enjoy this Christmas season.

This show was reviewed on the 6th December at Walsall Arena where it plays until the 21st December 2025. Tickets available here: Walsall Arena | Buy Tickets Online

Review written by Rachel Louise Martin

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