Actors, animals and infants alike are treading the boards at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool, and whilst it is well known amongst theatre land that you should never work with children and/or animals, for this production, there is no escaping such collaboration. Under direction of Cressida Carré the cast of Wizard of Oz have pulled together a triumphant production, which runs throughout the festive period.
Adapted from L.Frank Baum’s children’s novel from the 1900s, The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, who is whisked away from her family during a terrible tornado, which rips through her family’s farm. Accompanied by her loving companion Toto, her dog, Dorothy makes her return journey through Munchkinland, The Merry Old Land of Oz and the Land of the Winkies, on a quest to return home to Kansas. On their journey they stumble across some familiar friends, a Scarecrow – in need of a brain, a Tinman – in need of a heart, and a Lion - in need of some courage. Together they begin a magical journey as they head off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring time old classics including 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow', 'Follow The Yellow Brick Road' and 'We’re Off To See The Wizard'. This production follows the original film very closely like others before it. Therefore, the audience is always likely to compare and anticipate what’s in store.
The stage is framed, or rather littered with remnants of the tornado, which neither adds nor detracts from the set itself. Larger items of the set are wheeled on in semi-darkness, and do add to the overall story-telling, but there are, at times, moments where the audience are staring at an ‘empty’ stage, or waiting for the action to happen. Take for example, the tornado scene itself. The gauze came down, and we expected to see some sort of projection, however, from where I was sitting at least, there was little to see. The house did not move, we had a flash of sporadic light, and any imagery that was shown across the gauze was very difficult to see. There were no actors on stage, and very little to depict the disaster which ensued.
This production from Selladoor Family has drawn in some big named stars, most likely to achieve ‘bums on seats’. X Factor contestant Holly Tandy played Dorothy. Holly was successful in creating a good rapport with all her onstage co-stars, playing the young Kansas girl full of enthusiasm and vigour. Her delivery of the timeless classic ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ was wonderful. Her voice gave the song an almost country-like lilt to it, which really suited the character. Additionally, Holly provided excellent vocals throughout the show. The next ‘big star’ came in the shape of the Tinman played by Emmerdale’s ‘Andy’, Kelvin Fletcher. The Tinman was a lovable character who, along with Dorothy’s two other companions, wanted to help return Dorothy to Kansas. Fletcher portrayed the kind-heartedness of The Tinman with ease, however for me, his movements were too fluid. Next, the Cowardly Lion, played by Scott Gallagher provided the audience with some much-needed humour. Gallagher retained the iconic laugh, and delivered his songs with energy and oomph. Finally, the Scarecrow played by Kieran McGinn. In my opinion it is quite clear the McGinn comes from a musical background, as he nailed his performance, with slick dance moves, co-ordinated movements, timely lines, and first-rate vocals.
Unfortunately for the adult cast, who work hard throughout, they are ultimately upstaged by Toto, the dog and the younger cast members. The scene in Munchkin Land was fantastic. Bright, bold and beautiful, and supported by a gorgeous Glinda, the children really bring the show to life. Each and every child gave their all and performed to the highest standard. It was a real shame that we encountered some issues with microphones, meaning some lines were lost, however their overall performance was sublime. A highlight for costume and wardrobe comes in the ‘poppies’ scene, as the chorus changed seamlessly from poppies to snowflakes with the mere throw of their robes. A real costume triumph.
With a bit of help from the technical team, pyrotechnics were used to great effect, particularly to demonstrate the Wicked Witch of the West’s powers. Sarah Tullamore was suitably scary as the Witch, and both wowed and worried the audience with her high flying, broomstick brandishing action.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable and entertaining family show, and whether the audience was packed with family members waiting with baited breath to catch a glimpse of their younger loved ones, or not, the easily recognisable musical score had the audience tapping (and in some cases even singing) along throughout the night.
Reviewer – Jen O’Beirne
on - 13/12/18
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