As a huge musical theatre fan, it often surprises people when I say I’ve never seen Wicked…
Until now.
I’ve seen The Phantom of the Opera several times (my all-time favourite), Les Miserables, Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Sunny Afternoon, The Addams Family, American Idiot, Let it Be… and I’m sure I’ve missed others off that list.
I frequently visit The Theatre Cafe on Shaftesbury Avenue, and the last time I got a coffee there, I made a quick list of musicals that I need to see: Chicago, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Wicked.
Funnily enough, I received an email a few days later from Encore Tickets asking if I’d like to write a review of Wicked. The universe works in strange and mysterious ways.
So on Monday October 1st, I was lucky enough to have two stall seats for Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre! I took my friend Callum with me, as we tend to see plays / musicals / operas together, and it was wonderful.
Wicked has now been on the West End for 12 years, and has won over 100 awards. Yet I wasn’t prepared for how good it actually is.
Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the musical follows the two main witches from the Wizard of Oz, providing an prequel for the characters. It ends with Dorothy’s arrival to Oz and the death of the ‘wicked witch of the East’ and gives an alternate story for the ‘wicked witch of the West’, Elphaba.
The actresses for Elphaba (Alice Fearn) and Glinda (Sophie Evans) were amazing. I loved the costumes, and most importantly, the storyline was gripping. I was certainly spellbound.
The composer, Stephen Schwartz, also wrote the music for Disney’s Pocahontas and Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as Dreamwork’s Prince of Egypt! Apparently there is a film adaptation of Wicked set to release in 2019, which I’m sure will be magical. However, I don’t think it can beat experiencing Defying Gravity live!
I won’t give any spoilers, because you need to see this for yourself. I loved how Wicked provides funny alternative explanations for literally everything in the Wizard of Oz, while maintaining such emotional depth.
As you can see, we had great seats right in the centre of the stalls.
The Tickets
Collecting the tickets with Encore was very easy: one of their representatives will meet you outside the theatre, with a list and envelopes containing your tickets.
The queue for the box office was absolutely packed, so I’m very glad to have been able to skip that queue and head straight in with our tickets. Encore also have an option to print your tickets at home if you’d prefer, making the process even quicker. They offer seat upgrade deals too, with tickets for Wicked from £22.
If you’re visiting London for a weekend, Encore Tickets is an easy way to book both tourist attractions and theatre all at the same time!
Have you seen Wicked?
All the best,
Emily
*I was provided these tickets for Wicked in exchange for review, however this blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own.
I love, love, love Wicked! I saw it with my musical theater group in high school while it was touring here in the United States. While I was in London, I got to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre and that was amazing! I love Wicked, love London, and love your blog! Thank you for sharing!