Wicked (West End)

I've seen Wicked five times. I've seen three seperate Elphabas and two of everyone else. I was expecting Kerry Ellis tonight- who I've seen twice already and is apparently just back from Broadway, but that was not Kerry, and neither was it Scottish stand-in Ashleigh Gray, I think it was Sabrina Carter... But I can't be sure, because I never checked.

Five times, you might think that's a bit excessive. I did too, but the last time I saw it was April with former and future flatmates Penny and Shona. Tonight I saw it with fellow illustrators Linn and Sarah. Each time I've seen Wicked I've seen it with people who have never seen it before, I really enjoy other people enjoying it for the first time! Linn cried and Sarah was beaming! They loved it! I was so happy! Whoever our Elphaba was she was fabulous, had a little bit of a Northern accent but not Scottish! More like Yorkshire... Who was she, this mystery green girl? I must know! She was so sweet and she had an amazing set of pipes. I was glad to see someone new rather than Kerry again (much as I love her, she is an amazing Elphie and I have seen her three times as Ellen in Miss Saigon as well), Mystery-Elphie did a wonderful No Good Deed and a fantastic Defying Gravity, better than the two times I saw Idina- sorry you creepy purists, maybe us British girls were born to be green...

Last time I reviewed this (on my livejournal) I was wowed by Dianne Pilkington, well she was even more amazing this time. She owns that character! Owns Galinda way more than Helen Dallimore did. She's added and improvised and tweaked to make Glindy uber-cute and annoying, just wonderful, and she sang even better than I remembered! My first time seeing a new Nessa and Boq, gah, so cute. I still welled up at Wicked Witch of the East, she was as good as Katie Rowley-Jones, maybe even a little cuter! I identify with the creepy obsessives, Nessarose is my favourite character. Oliver Thompsett is still gorgeous but looked a bit tall and awkward next to tiny tiny Mystery-Elphie. All in all a fantastic show which was a surprise to be seeing when we had planned on seeing The Lion King! (sold out, half term!) Much better than Avenue Q which I finally saw last night, shite.

PS The costumes, dancing, story, references and jokes are all perfect. I wouldn't have seen it this many times just to review different actors. You will never be able to see The Wizard of Oz the same way.... Guy's a prick!