Calling all StageSider’s, get away from those poppies, slip on your slippers and ease on down the road with us here at StageSideUK, as we review The Wiz. I saw this performance at The Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, on the 21st December (sorry it’s late!). The Wiz is the reason I arranged the trip to Manchester in the first place. This is one of my favourite movie musicals and I am so happy to say I have seen it live and it did not disappoint.
About the show!
Walking into a rather cosy environment, this piece started off rather bland. Not in terms of the characters or acting, but the space was a black box venue with black curtains and only a clothes airer and tv screen to set the scene. But as I would come to realise, this is all an illusion.
Before the performance began, a speech was made by Joseph Houston, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Hope Mill Theatre. Joseph expressed relief and excitement for the return of live theatre after a long lockdown. Joseph went on to explain how due to illness the role of Dorothy would be played by Samantha Shuma instead of Cherelle Williams. This news didn’t disappoint me, nor did it thrill me, as I had come to the show without expecting anything. I was ready to see the show, advertised cast or not, and equipped with my wine (in a pint glass, though not a pint of wine) I was blown away to Oz.
What began as a black box piece of theatre, did not remain a black box piece of theatre. The set for this show was stunning and took the piece to the next level. Even if the set hadn’t changed, the character work, choreography, music, special effects and costumes were ridiculously good. The set change was the cherry on top, and really did blow me away. I think I even had to mumble a little WOW under my breath. It was just amazing.
Stand out stars!
It would be unfair to mention just one stand out star of the show. There were so many amazing moments, and so many cast members that were insanely talented.
Anelisa Lamola, who played Addaperle, was simply amazing. So funny, vocally strong and the characterisation was just chef’s kiss brilliant. A brilliant casting choice for early in the show and a brilliant way to introduce the world of OZ. I could tell, sitting up at the second to last row, that everything Anelisa had was going into the performance.
Dorothy
Samantha Shuma had her professional debut, and took on the role of Dorothy for this performance. She was brilliant. Samantha had a very british accent when it came to dialogue and singing, which stood out. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it was just an observation that I thought was interesting and made the character stand out from the Ozians. But it also made her stand out compared to the mother character too. There were a few stumbles and some of the lines that led into songs were missed which would have given more context, but Samantha smashed this role. I assume she had very little notice to take on the new role, so keeping that in mind, I think this was a job well done. Samantha also had one of the most famous belty songs from the musical ‘Home’ which was amazing. Actual goosebumps, not just metaphorically. Samantha had some moments that honestly had me amazed.
The Lion
Jordan Andre, who played the Lion, had a great all round character. With some strong vocals in parts and some good movement, Jordan appeared confident in the role and played the part well. But something seemed to be missing. The character seems such a showman and so extroverted (at first). I think the pizaz of the lion was diluted in comparison to other characters in the show. Jordan still gave a really good performance, had us laughing and provided some great tender moments, I just felt a bit puzzled by the lack of flash.
The Scarecrow
Tarik Frimpong, who played the scarecrow, had some amazing movement moments. There were also some great solo vocals and choral sections that were just perfect. Adding just enough to the piece to be interesting, but not overpowering. With that being said, there were some moments that I found really distracting when the scarecrow wasn’t meant to be the focus. From random flops, kicks and spins being thrown in for an added laugh, Tarik did stand out but maybe too much too often. With the performance taking place on a hollow floor, which was great for scenes such as the tornado or introducing the Lion, the constant flopping and flailing from Tarik is really loud and was quite distracting.
The Tinman
Llewellyn Graham who played The Tinman was ridiculously good. Slide Some Oil to me was such a toe tapper and really picked up the pace. The vocals, the dancing…. brilliant. I do wish he was wearing some more musical shoes (tap or just boots or something heavier). I think this would add to the piece A LOT, because the movements and footwork that Llewellyn was doing would have made some beautiful sounds in tap shoes or a heavy Stomp-esque boot.
The Wiz
Cameron Bernard Jones played the Wiz. Authoritarian, fun, inclusive yet exclusive, this is everything you want the Wiz to be, and then some extra fun bits thrown in. In this production, the Wiz is a complex concoction of a character. Featuring a mix of politics and theatrical convention, Cameron Bernard Jones was the perfect embodiment of the Wiz for this performance. With some rather strong moments, a great character and some great interactions with others on stage, I always had my eye on Cameron to see what he was going to do next.
But the whole cast really was amazing. From their acting abilities to their vocals, dancing to the buckets of effort they put into the performance, each and every cast member was amazing.
Stand out moments!
Some other great moments to mention were the vogue scene, break out dance sequences and the transitions. The vogue scene as the seekers of home, a heart, a brain and courage enter the emerald city, was amazing. So fun and upbeat, yet oddly eerie and sinister. Who knew a death drop and a duck walk could be subliminally dark.
There were some great dance break outs throughout this performance. Some of the dance sequences are ridiculously good and come as a surprise. This isn’t a bad thing, I just think sometimes they’re not given the focus they deserve. With moments happening throughout, especially during transition scenes, I worry they may be overlooked.
Aesthetically the show has all you could want. A ridiculously detailed set, some gorgeous costumes, some glitz, some glamour and some amazing hidden features. There are some costumes that I think could have been changed to add to the show, such as a more detailed / descriptive costume for the poppies. The costumes were beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but I would have loved something a little more based on the character. Something a bit more addictive or symbolically sleepy.
Overall, this show was amazing. What once lived in my memories as a beautiful film will now be embellished with the beauty of this amazing live show. Being the reason for my trip to Manchester, this stunning piece of theatre did not let me down.
Now onto the ratings.
Entertainment:
This show is ridiculously entertaining. The music, the visuals, the acting is all spot on. With some amazing tunes and some brilliant choreography, The Wiz does not mess around when it comes to their musical numbers. This show was so aesthetically perfect with so many hidden secrets, great musical numbers and everything you would want from a musical. This really does give you all the entertainment you can handle for one evening. It easily deserves five out of five stars.
Value for money
In terms of value for money, you can see where every penny has gone. From the set to the costumes, the choreography and the talent on stage. This is just amazing theatre for a relatively decent price. I have paid more and got much less. My seat was £34. Not the most expensive or cheapest option but it offered a great view for a great price. I don’t think there would be much of a different view if I had upgraded but it appears that the downgrade to the cheapest seats are beside the stage? This may have been cool to see. I have to give this show a solid five out of five for their value for money. My seat provided a great view for a decent price.
Accessibility
This show isn’t very accessible. With flashing lights, lots of sudden very loud noises and lots of sensory overload. There are no relaxed performances for this show but there is one BSL interpreted show and one audio described show. This, to me and for a show that runs for 7 weeks, isn’t really that great. Sure it isn’t terrible and at least there are some measures in place to broaden access to theatre, but this isn’t the most access friendly. I think this is something that needs to be improved across theatre land.
I will give this show, sadly, a three out of five stars. The production does have some methods of making the performance more accessible but I think seeing more access would be great for the community. Plus I think the show has a lot of tech that it is using as transitions or scenography, and if you took these away, I don’t know if the show would be as mind blowing.
Overall
Overall I think I would give this performance four out of five stars. The entertainment was amazing, the value was pretty competitive with London theatres but the accessibility issues were a bit of a sticking point. With a lot of Loud Sounds, lighting effects and immersive theatre techniques, I don’t think it would be that appropriate for quite a number of people, which makes an inclusive show rather exclusive. As I am only affected by sudden loud noises, I was able to sit through it, but if I was affected by lights, sound and immersive theatre, I do not think I would have lasted.
Have your say!
Have you seen The Wiz? What did you think? Are you hoping for an encore from Adaperle and the magic tablet, or do you think one visit to Oz was enough ? Let me know in the comments and let’s get a discussion going.
As always, please be respectful of each other’s opinions and be kind to each other. I completely respect and value everyone that worked on this show. We need to remember that these are people with feelings. Let’s treat them with respect. Bullying will not be tolerated and harmful language will be removed.
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Featured images have been referenced and are used in line with fair usage, in the copyright act. Post thumbnail photo credit Pamela Raith.
