Apollo Victoria Theatre
Date: 21 January 2023 (Saturday), 7:30pm
Seats: Stalls B 25-26
(Seen with Richard!)
Notes: I had been muttering about seeing a show around my birthday - either Wicked or &Juliet, thinking I’d be doing Rush tickets and being perfectly happy with that. And then on my birthday morning, when opening my birthday card, inside was a piece of paper and a note. Richard had gotten us seats to Wicked on the second row in the stalls and a reservation for a Japanese BBQ restaurant! I’m so spoiled.
So on Saturday we popped into the city early for a bit of a wander before our dinner. Dinner was really great (one of those Japanese places where you order everything raw and cook it ourself on the grill), and we made it over to the theatre in plenty of time. We both thought that the cast change had just happened, but actually it doesn’t happen for a few more months so I was pleased to see no understudies and the full current cast.
Of course I know the plot and songs in Wicked super well, so I’m there for the nostalgia and to see the cast! We only had one substitution, which wasn’t listed in the theatre anywhere that I could see but I saw on the West End Understudies twitter page. Rhidian Marc played three roles in one show! He was the Witch’s Father in the beginning, then he was Doctor Dillamond (he’s the first cover for that role), then he was the Wonderful Wizard as well! He is the second cover for that part. I’ve never seen anything like it! He was also an amazing Wizard, with a lovely tone of voice and I thought he balanced the silliness of the Wizard quite well with the serious parts of his roles.
My favourite performers of the night were the three main ladies. Carina Gillespie as Nessarose was really powerful and I thought her acting was really good as well. Her learning to walk was really good and believable which I think could be hard, and while Nessa is only a small part it is mighty. If I was in Wicked I’d love to play her.
Helen Woolf was a beautiful G(a)linda! Her tone was clear as a bell and her top notes really rang true. There was no sliding which others have done in the past, intentional or otherwise. Just bang, top note! Perfection. She and Elphaba clearly know each other well and are friends in real life. Speaking of, I was totally chuffed to be able to watch Lucie Jones as Elphaba! I’ve seen her in several things before, notably Waitress and she is amazing. Beautiful tone and she did a couple of awesome riffs which had me in chills. She did look like she may be pregnant but vocally she blew me away. I’m so glad that I got to see her in this role!
I will need to go and see it again after the cast change - after this it will be the first time ever that all three leads will be played by black performers, and more people that I know and like or haven’t had a chance to see yet! But that will be for the second half of the year.
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