the Wizard of Oz

Alex Jackson’s script for The Wizard of Oz successfully retains all the elements of the well-known tale but by transporting Dame Aunty Em with Dorothy to the land of Oz in the tornado wonderfully turns it into a pantomime. He includes plenty of traditional panto comedy business within a two-hour running time while retaining the defining characteristics of the principals to create a very satisfying narrative. The addition of topical gags and local references adds immensely to the show’s appeal.

Wraysbury Players production featured many familiar faces from previous shows but charmingly included a five-person dance troop and a strong well drilled young Ensemble of ten. Everyone in the cast speaks with a strong clear voice, good timing and delivers the simple choreography to create the iconic scenes in Munchkinland and the Land of Oz. Sensibly the Director limits the musical elements to short bursts to allow the focus to be on the narrative and comedy.

The budgets are clearly tight but the show benefits from an excellent set of costumes for the Lion, Scarecrow and Tin Man, the Witches and the Ensemble which add immensely to the overall look of the show while the Munchkinland houses and Wizard’s domain are effective scene setters with naive charm backed by some good-looking backcloths. There is lovely attention to detail throughout the production and a real sense of joy from the performers which was delightful to witness.

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