The Wizard of Oz

This was the first time that I had seen 'The Wizard of Oz' as a pantomime and although the story lacks most of the standard pantomime characters it did work quite well.

This was probably due to the strong cast of eleven adults and children who entered into their parts well and with great enthusiasm. Lauren Varley as Dorothy was delghtful in the role and she sang beautifully. There were some well chosen songs and most of these were accompanied by a guitar playing Scarecrow (Tony Clegg).

The children in the production were excellent, dancing and acting their way through various roles. I saw the B Team who were delightful as I am sure the A Team would be at other performances.

The show moves through many scenes from Kansas through the Land of Oz and scenery and effects were kept nice and simple to enable scene changes to happen smoothly.

Costumes and make-up had been well thought out and it was good to see the colour changes when Dorothy arrived in Oz.

This was a simple uncluttered production that didn't get bogged down with intricate stage effects and it worked well making it enjoyable family entertainment.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.