For the past week, theatre fans across Sheffield have been treated to an amazing performance of the Wizard of Oz at the Lyceum Theatre. Directed by Nikolai Foster, this rendition of the beloved musical Wizard of Oz has incorporated some impressive technical elements to bring this show to the modern day!
Generally, the show was very entertaining and funny! I laughed when I was meant to laugh, and was on the verge of tears at the more emotional parts of the musical. The acting across the board was top-notch, which was only complimented by the amazing vocals from the entire cast. Special mentions of course must go to Aviva Tulley for her portrayal of Dorothy. Tulley’s voice was mind blowing, and matched every song perfectly, and it would be remiss not to mention how well she fit the character of Dorothy, capturing her genuine nature amazingly! A truly perfect casting in my opinion! Another special mention goes to the Vivienne’s portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West, which was utterly delightful in every way. The Vivienne brought a level of great panache to the character that had me anticipating every scene she was in. Finally, on the show I watched Toto was puppeted by Tyler Ephraim, and Ephraim did a truly spectacular job. I often found my eyes drawn to Toto’s puppet, in awe of the realistic movements Ephraim was able to convey.
The show was amazing on a technical level too. It featured a large screen at the back of the stage that would show different 3D scenes relevant to what was happening on stage. Many of these visuals served to supplement the scenes in place of painted stills, and often this was accomplished. However, I did find myself a little disorientated by some of the visuals. However, this was aided slightly by the amazing set pieces that decorated the stage, namely the yellow brick road arrows and the witch’s chair from the second half of the show. The costumes were gorgeous too; Rachael Canning did a fantastic job capturing the spirit of the characters, especially with Scarecrow, Tin man and the Lion, but I did find myself wondering why Dorothy was wearing sneakers in the first part of the show before she went to Oz!
The band was also beautifully directed by Iestyn Griffiths, and perfectly supplemented each scene it was in!
Overall, I would recommend seeing the Wizard of Oz at your next availability! It’s an amazing, light-hearted show, perfect for children, and definitely go and see it on the last day!
Rating: ★★★★☆