The Wizard of Oz – Milton Keynes Theatre

Writer: L Frank Baum

Music: Harold Arlen with additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics: E. Y. Harburg with additional lyrics by Tim Rice

Adaptors: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams

Director: Nikolai Foster

In musical theatre terms, there is no show more iconic than The Wizard Of Oz. Judy Garland’s 1939 movie musical lives within our collective cultural experience and the stage show carries the weight of the movie’s reputation upon it.

Director Nikolai Foster has been at pains to give this production a more modern, dystopian edge than the movie portrayed in a clear attempt to have it stand on its own feet. He offers a turbo-charged and visually immersive experience that blends theatre with cinematic elements. The proscenium arch is transformed into a luminous screen, and the nostalgic imagery of Kansas is juxtaposed with a futuristic and unfamiliar Oz. This hybrid approach pays homage to the 1939 film while injecting a Steven Spielberg-style action movie vibe into the narrative.

Foster has created a much murkier Oz than most representations would usually show The Munchkins are full-sized, the vocal and orchestral arrangements are of a more contemporary style and some iconic lyrics are no more, for reasons only apparent to the creative team. The incorporation of modern pop culture references like Glinda Barbie and a skit borrowed from Family Guy feels out of place in this classic musical.

It’s always a challenge to seamlessly integrate new material into an established musical, especially one of this magnitude. However, recent adaptations like Bedknobs and Broomsticks have effectively woven new content into the score while staying true to the show’s style. This level of finesse isn’t evident in this production. The central conceit for the story is that Dorothy (Aviva Tulley) is an outsider, at odds with the community in Kansas. But the kinetic screen and relentless bigness of Harold Arlen’s music (with additional music by Lloyd Webber) often swallow up everything around it. The lyrics by E. Y. Harburg (with additions by Tim Rice) are nondescript but the book – from the children’s novel by L Frank Baum – sounds saccharine and old-fashioned against the futuristic effects. Rice and Lloyd-Webber’s additions come across as formulaic and awkward, starkly contrasting with the musicality of the original score.

Similarly, Colin Richmond’s design is disappointingly lacking in creativity, with a bare staging and projection that leaves the actors exposed, particularly on a stage of this size. It consists of four receding portals with a large projection on the back wall and a few trucks to add a 3D element. The projections are like a VR game. We slalom down the Yellow Brick Road and into Emerald City, which looks like New York’s Times Square with a green wash. There are a couple of nice easter eggs in the projections, for example, Margaret Hamilton on the iconic star silhouette of Hamilton the Musical but it would appear that the development time was spent on the digitisation and not on the content of the show itself. The production of this show has been an exercise in formulaic box ticking to get a bog standard show out and touring. Whilst Richmond’s design is disappointing, some elements do look nice; the yellow brick road for example works nicely as the dips and crevices of the trucks allow for Yates to seamlessly glide from truck to truck and inject some energy into the travelling sequences.

Despite the creative shortcomings, thankfully, the actors do a fantastic job. Aviva Tulley is stunning as Dorothy. She has a wide-eyed innocence about her but also a steely grit in this central role. Her dynamism propels the show:Over The Rainbow is sung so smoothly. She has a bright bell-like quality to her voice which is simply spellbinding. Tulley’s sweetness complements the comedic prowess of her three companions, the Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), the Lion (Nic Greenshields) and the Tinman (Femi Akinfolarin). These four save the show with their chemistry and exceptional vocals. Yates’ track is intensely physical but he bounds around the stage with endless energy in every scene.

Akinfolarin’s movement is otherworldly. The segment in which he meets Dorothy for the first time and gets oiled is a masterclass in nonverbal storytelling. At this moment, Shay Barclay’s choreography pops as Akinforlarin pops and locks and slides his way through a sequence of isolated movements. The central four are all strong triple-threat performers and have excellent chemistry together.

Tulley’s tiny frame plays well against the male cast who mostly tower over her. This adds to the physical comedy of their scenes. In particular, when Greenshields affectionately throws her around in the wizard’s chamber and brings to life the animalistic clumsiness of the cowardly lion.

The other stand-out performance is Abigail Matthews as Toto. The puppetry is stunning, as his body is fully articulated and Matthews’ relentless energy as the dog makes her almost invisible to the eye as Toto interacts with the other characters.

In contrast, whilst Craig Revel Horwood looks statuesque as the Wicked Witch, he clearly spends all of his time concentrating on the serpent-like voice of the witch. The result is a lazy drawing of the lib that sucks the life out of the character. His scenes feel one dimensional and there isn’t too much for Tulley to bounce off.

The witch finally gets a song in the second act Red Shoes Blues which Revel Horwood delivers on pitch with good technique, but there is just nothing to ignite a feeling from the audience about his performance. The fiercest thing about him is the costume. He looks stunningly beautiful in his jewel-toned wig and ruby lipstick sashaying from scene to scene. The costume does all of the heavy lifting for this character, though to be fair to Revel Horwood, it’s difficult to be menacing when wielding a purple rubber broomstick that looks like a shoddy replica of a Nimbus 2000 from Smyths toy superstore. Whilst it clearly contains a pyro trigger, its shape and texture look shoddy and therefore detract from the spectacle of the stunt. The result is that instead of the baddie you love to hate, you have one who isn’t particularly offensive.

While the show is imaginative and full of skewed realities, it sometimes overwhelms the audience with its myriad elements, making it feel more like a video game rather than a cohesive dream. Despite this, the quieter moments and strong performances ensure that the production captures the essence of the beloved story. The Wizard of Oz is entertaining enough for children and newcomers, but fans of the film or original production beware!

Runs until 21 July 2024 and on tour