Milton Keynes Theatre Review: It's The Wizard of Oz... but like you've never seen it before!

A tongue-in-cheek retelling of the household classic, that certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. The musical features the Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg songs from the 1939 film and includes new songs and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice and follows the story of young Dorothy as she explores the merry old land of Oz. Having initially lamented that no one understands her, Dorothy soon comes to realise that their really is no place like home and her journey home certainly isn’t short of thrills!

We've all grown up watching the MGM classic, so there was a level of scepticism going into the Theatre, having heard so much about the numerous changes to the show. However, as soon as Aviva Tulley performed ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ all your worries can't help but melt away (excuse the pun) as she delivered a beautiful rendition, with stunning vocal ability.

In this rendition, directed by Nikolai Foster, we then leave a Great Depression era Kansas and land in a bizarre futuristic (yet with a nod to the vintage) Oz where Dorothy and Toto (Abigail Matthews) meet our band of familiar favourites; Glinda (Emily Bull), The Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), The Tin Man (Femi Akinfolarin), The Cowardly Lion (Nic Greenshields), The Wizard (Alex Bourne) and of course The Wicked Witch of the West herself (Craig Revel Horwood).

It would be remiss not to give a nod to Matthews, the puppeteer behind Toto, who absolutely bought him to life in the most masterful way and we have to say, along with Tulley, drove the heart of the plot through what at times, could have been a show overwhelmed by larger than life costumes, set pieces and projections, if it had not been grounded by their wonderful performances.

The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion were first-class, each giving such a unique take on the much-loved characters, shining in their own moments with stellar vocals, dancing, movement and humour as they try to find their respective brain, heart and courage – each a joy to watch!

On this leg of the tour, the Wicked Witch of the West is played by Craig Revel Horwood who you could tell positively revels in being evil. If one is familiar with his persona on Strictly Come Dancing, his fab-u-lous singing voice may come as a surprise – it certainly did to us, and what a pleasant surprise it was! We're already very much looking forward to seeing him return this Christmas to Milton Keynes Theatre as ‘Captain Hook’ in Peter Pan!

It also must be said that the ensemble were all exemplary and goodness, they were put to use throughout this production, taking on roles from munchkins and the people of Oz to the Witch’s guards, flying monkeys and even the Yellow Brick Road itself! The energy from the ensemble was infectious and the source of plenty of seat bopping from some of the younger (and older!) audience members.

With this version of The Wizard of Oz, fans of the original film must set aside their expectations and enjoy it for what it is—bright, wacky, and wonderfully unapologetic. If you can do that, you’re in for an absolute treat!