WICKED Flies Into Its 14th Year In The West End

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical sensation that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, will tonight fly into its landmark 14th year at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre.

"A dizzyingly imaginative rewrite of The Wizard of Oz" (Time Out London), the classic musical is already the 9th longest running musical in West End history and the 5th longest running musical currently playing in the West End. Winner of over 100 major international awards, including three Tony Awards on Broadway and two Olivier Awards and ten theatregoer-voted WhatsOnStage Awards (including three for 'Best West End Show') in the UK, Wicked remains "one of the biggest hits of our age" (The Observer).

Michael McCabe, Executive Producer (UK) of Wicked said: "It takes more than 100 people on-stage and behind the scenes to deliver each performance of Wicked and it is a testament to their talent and tireless dedication that we are able to continue delivering the show to such an exceptional and exacting standard. As we celebrate entering our 14th year, we acknowledge the debt of gratitude we owe to all of our various casts, musicians, creatives and production staff as well as to the many millions of theatregoers who have so passionately supported and championed Stephen Schwartz's incredible musical since its London premiere in 2006."

Based on the acclaimed, best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked imagines an ingenious backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum's beloved characters from 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' and reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely University friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

WICKED stars Nikki Bentley (Elphaba), Helen Woolf (Glinda), Alistair Brammer (Fiyero), Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), Andy Hockley (The Wizard), Simeon Truby (Doctor Dillamond), Natasha Ferguson* (Nessarose), Idriss Kargbo** (Boq), Laura Pick (Standby for Elphaba) and Lisa-Anne Wood (Standby for Glinda). *Maternity cover for Carina Gillespie. **Final performance 9 November 2019.

WICKED has music and lyrics by multi Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell; Disney's Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted and, for Dreamworks Animation, The Prince of Egypt) and is based on the novel 'Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by Gregory Maguire and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life). Musical staging is by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento and direction by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.

WICKED is produced around the world by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe.

Through its FOR GOOD programme and other charitable endeavours, Wicked is proud to support the remarkable work of the following UK charities: Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA); the National Literacy Trust and the Woodland Trust. Funds raised for the Woodland Trust have already enabled the planting of over 53,000 new trees at the Heartwood Forest in Hertfordshire. For more information visit: www.WickedForGood.co.uk

The annual Wicked YOUNG WRITER AWARDS were created by the producers of Wicked, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and with the support of Michael Morpurgo and Patron HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, to encourage and recognise excellence in writing and creativity, and help develop literacy and writing talent, in young people between 5 and 25. Celebrating 10 years of these "prestigious awards" (The Times) in 2020, the Head Judge is How To Train Your Dragon author and Children's Laureate Cressida Cowell. Further information: www.WickedYoungWriterAwards.com

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk