Wicked - New UK and Ireland Tour (2018)

If a Thursday matinee happens, Charli Baptie will be on as Glinda for the matinee and Nikki Bentley as Elphaba for the evening or vice-versa.

I'd likely be going on the last week of the run so would the prices on the website just be reduced by then possibly?

Would I miss much of the top of the stage sitting at the front of the grand tier?

I haven’t posted on here much recently, but tonight I saw the show in Southampton and it was the best trip to Wicked that I’ve had since Rachel Tucker’s last show so I felt the urge to put some thoughts down.

This touring production of Wicked is miles ahead of its West End counterpart - it’s slicker and more energetic, the lighting/sets/costumes are more polished, and the sound design isn’t total garbage. Today I really noticed the extra lighting that’s been added on top of the design from the West End - in particular there’s a kind of ripple effect during the final section of Defying Gravity which was really beautiful. There are also some differences in the direction - I don’t mean working around the aspects of the West End production that can’t be included since this is a touring production, but rather distinct differences in where things are played for laughs and how characters have been interpreted. On the whole, these differences are for the better and make the show that little bit more coherent. By comparison, the West End production really feels like it’s 12 years old and just trudging along.

Amy Ross was great when I saw her in Bristol, and her performance has grown and improved since then. Her vocal tone is still very pure, but it is now richer and more resonant. As an actress, she remains one of the best of all the Elphabas I’ve seen, and the overwhelming thought in my head tonight was how her performance proves that vocal acrobatics (a.k.a. riffing) should never come at the expense of acting through song. She does very little of the former, but carries out the latter brilliantly.

Helen Woolf is very good - funny and has a strong voice. I don’t rate her particularly highly as I find her voice a little too shrill for my liking, and tonight her Glinda was perhaps a little too hysteric, but I can’t deny that she’s very talented.

Kim Ismay didn’t blow me away in Bristol - she was fine but nothing to write home about. Tonight was completely different. Her stage presence was mammoth and she got Morrible’s comedy just right but still pulled off the transition to the menacing schemer. Coupled with Steven Pinder’s unique interpretation of both Dillamond and The Wizard (both of which I love), the two were a dream team tonight.

Emily Shaw also impressed more than in Bristol - tonight she gave perhaps the best acted performance of Nessa that I’ve seen, and her voice was much better, although she could still afford a bit more power for her big moment in Wicked Witch Of The East. Similarly, Aaron Sidwell, who acts Fiyero quite well, is a good singer when he gives his voice enough support, but needs to be more consistent.

I don’t want to be mean, but I stand by my opinion that Iddon Jones is wrong for Boq and gives a disappointing performance. The ensemble, on the other hand, are top notch. Full of energy and great dancers, they really give this show the liveliness that it holds over the West End production.

The moral of the story here is that the West End show needs a serious revamp (as many people have said before me) and should absolutely take this touring production as the standard to meet.

[Bonus fun fact: both Ross and Woolf hit the money low note in I’m Not That Girl, which almost every Elphaba (and some Glindas) I’ve seen in the West End has opted out of]

I totally disagree.

Since he joined I have watched him many many times and he always puts in an incredible amount of effort. Someone said earlier in the thread he was going through the motions but, for me, he is very much in the Sam Lupton category and could be performing this a thousand times and every time really going for it. The contrast between his meek act one and angry WWOTE scene is huge.

I think it's perhaps more the case that when you have seen the show more than a few times characters like Boq and Nessa become much of a muchness and it's all about the green, Glinda and whichever ensemble performer we fancy the most this week.

I also wasn't a fan of Iddon's Boq, or Emily's Nessa for that matter. Main reason for Iddon being, in my opinion, he looked too old for the role, and he seemed to be going through the motions. For Emily as Nessa, I didn't really think her voice suited the character as I was a tad underwhelmed by WWOTE. I did enjoy the contrast between her act 1 and act 2 portrayal - in act 1 she's a very sweet Nessa, but in act 2, she is bitter and selfish.

I think we’re only getting one week with two double-show days in a row (the last week) so there we might have scheduled standby shows on either the 21st mat/eve or 22d mat/eve but other than that it will be Amy and Helen unless they’re ill. Nikki will probably say what show she’s doing closer to the time.

So a double show day and I was lucky that my bet paid off booking both, I had Amy Webb as Elphaba in the matinee and Amy Ross in the evening. Charli Bapti was Glinda for both shows and we had four swings on too which was great to see.

Having not seen the tour since the start of the year in Bristol I continue to stand by my assertion that there will never be a better cast of leads and ensemble than we have here. Outstanding.

Amy Ross needs to be bottled up and shipped around the world to lead Elphie School and train new cast in the subtlety of acting your ass off while singing that score with riffs and belts that don’t detract from the performance. There will never be a greater actress play the role (don’t @ me, this is my opinion).

Charli was a great Glinda, really strong acting and comedy timing, her Popular was hilarious. Amy Webb - wow! Powerhouse and absolutely could be a lead Elphaba, no way is she only 1st understudy material!

The ensemble are just so on top of everything and as we come to the end of the tour it still feels like opening night. I don’t stand by the school of thought that this is because they tour together, I didn’t get these vibes with the first UK tour - there’s just something about this group of people.

I’ve a few other shows booked for Cardiff then closing weekend in Manchester. To be honest I think I’ll be done with Wicked at that point, I just don’t see any other cast beating this ever.

Grace Chapman is making her Glinda debut tonight

There’s definitely something going around the cast this week...

5 shows in and 3 different lead combos!

Wed - Amy R & Charli
Thur mat - Amy W & Charli
Thur eve - Amy R & Charli
Fri - Nikki & Grace
Sat mat - Amy W & Charli

Throw a dart at the board tonight for who we’ll see but I’m totally on standby for Amy G to get an Elphaba debut... it can’t be far away if this trend continues!

I guess I just find it odd that with all the sickness they send the Standby oop north, meaning they’re paying someone else to come and standby (rumour has it Laura Emmit is in Cardiff today!) when they don’t really need to promote the show given it’s pretty much sold out?! Especially on the back of the Trafford Centre promo last week!

They couldn't send her as she covers nine tracks and they are ravaged by sickness.

Her super swing skills are needed ☺