The Wizard of Oz Jr.

Team 2 Cast

Following their epic production of Matilda Jr, earlier this month, Ludwig Theatre Arts returned with yet another timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz. This adaptation by L. Frank Baum had great direction and evoked strong feelings of nostalgia by paying homage, in parts, to the original film, starring Judy Garland. A production well cast and performed by its talented company of young actors, with great intent and enthusiasm. This was a brilliant directorial debut by the multi-talented Megan Davies, whose sublime choreography once again enhanced the quality of the piece.

In the opening scenes I appreciated the clever lighting effects and costuming, which created a duller appearance to the Kansas setting when compared with the glorious technicoloured Oz. The switch in lighting and costume helped to sell Dorothy’s line of “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore”. The set was simple but effective with various cut outs of fences, trees, bushes, and the Kansas house complete with porch. The only thing that I felt was missing was the yellow brick road but the lighting effect for this did work well. I applaud the movement, sound effects and lighting during the tornado scene, which were superb. The montage of characters from both Kansas and Oz, during this scene, was used to good effect. You could see that enormous amounts of work had gone into characterisation and the hidden humour within the subtext, delivered well by the principal cast with support from the ensemble. At times I did struggle to hear the smaller children and their diction and articulation could be an area for improvement. Overall, this was a good solid production with great individual performances.

The charismatic Katie Ella-Duke played the part of Dorothy Gale brilliantly, she had great stage presence and a beautiful singing voice. She gave us a strong captivating performance and her rendition of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,’ was a true delight. Great characterisation and she held a consistent accent throughout.

Adam Kerr gave us a charming performance as The Scarecrow, (doubling up as Hunk in Kansas). ‘If I Only Had a Brain’ was a highlight and his characterisation teamed with his stylised gesticulation was well delivered. He had good comic timing throughout and this was a heartfelt performance from Adam.

The Tinman (doubling as Hickory in Kansas) was played by Dillan Duke. I thought he did a great job of the restricted physical motion, afforded by his character. He had strong interactions and chemistry with the other characters and projected his lines well. I especially enjoyed his initial oil can scene, followed by ‘If I Only had a Heart, which was well sung.

Elliott Gregory Norton as the cowardly Lion (doubling up as Zeke from Kansas) was brilliant with his strong, confident performance, which stayed true to the beloved film version. He captured the iconic voice and mannerisms perfectly with great comic timing and delivery. I especially enjoyed his hilarious rendition of ‘If I Were the King of the Forest’.

A fantastically wicked performance came from Megan Adshead as The Wicked Witch of the West (also doubling up as the unpleasant Miss Gulch in Kansas). She was frightfully good, and the infamous cackle was perfectly executed. Megan had excellent facial expressions and commanded the stage with confidence.

There was a lovely performance from Georgina Laity as Glinda 'The Good Witch of the North'. She had perfect diction, poise and displayed true grace and elegance in her movements. Perfectly cast.

Oscar Reid as The Wizard/Prof. Marvel gave a nice performance with good characterisation and line delivery. Oliver Handley and Ava Bishop as Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were a great support throughout, and they played their roles with sensitivity and maturity.

However, my standout performance goes to Pippa Richards, who gave us one of the most incredible, unique performances of Toto, I think I have ever seen. Armed with the most adorable puppet, with fully movable limbs and facial expressions, she became a masterful puppeteer! It was a stunning display of skill and commitment to the role, and it was magical to watch. You could see how hard Pippa had worked to mimic the moves of Dorothy’s four-legged friend and it was expertly done. Her interactions with other characters were brilliant and so natural, which the other actors fully supported and deserve commendation for their commitment to the believability. It was so good that you forgot that Pippa was there (which I mean in the best possible way!) and all you could see was a real dog! It was a first-class performance by Toto (and Pippa).

The principals were well supported by an excellent ensemble, who enhanced the show throughout with good choral work and well executed choreography. I particularly enjoyed the crows, the scene with the trees and also the Jitterbugs high-energy dance routine, which were all fabulous and well costumed. ‘We’re off to see the Wizard’ and ‘Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead’ were highlights of the show.

The closing scenes were beautifully directed, starting with a very stylised ‘clicking of the heels’, as Dorothy softly spoke the famous words “There’s no place like home” the lights faded to complete darkness, as a single spotlight came up on her feet, signifying the magic of the Ruby Slippers and the return to Kansas. The lighting team once again excelled in these final moments and I adored the tableau effect that was used at the end with Dorothy and her family looking out into the audience. This was the ending that we all hoped for and it hit all the right emotion beats.

A huge congratulations to all involved it was a wonderful production, which I enjoyed very much.

 

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