Review: The Wizard of Oz at the Palace Theatre in Manchester

Pure unadulterated joy! That is the verdict on this lavish new version of The Wizard of Oz which manages to bring all the spectacle and scale of the West End musical to bear on a production that is simply mind-blowing.

There is no aspect of this exceptional piece of entertainment which does not excel whether it is cast, story, songs, sets, choreography, orchestration or direction - it is in many ways the perfect example of how to stage a musical likely to appeal to every demographic.

What is particularly admirable is the way the show manages to remain utterly faithful to the film which has enchanted generations since it was first released in 1939 while also making it feel modern and relevant with smartly executed and judged additions to the mix.

READ MORE: Rats, traffic and millions of people: Sharing a home with UK's largest outlet shopping centre | More than eight million people shop at Cheshire Oaks each year - but what do the constantly growing numbers of visitors mean for residents?

READ MORE: Chester ranked top shopping destination in North West as city's high street bounces back | The rankings use metrics that reflect the drivers of retail health

All of the original songs we know and love are present and correct (the work of Harold Arlen and EY Harburg) but more were needed for this version and let’s face it, you could not possibly have done better than have Andrew Lloyd Webber (who co-adapted the L Frank Baum book for the stage with Jeremy Sams) and Tim Rice come up with additional music and lyrics - it was their first collaboration in years when Lloyd Webber first tackled Oz back in 2011!

Filmed sequences and back projection figure quite prominently right from the start and at first this felt like a bit of a cop out but ended up massively enhancing the experience, especially when we venture into Oz and these projections provided the sharp-eyed with amusing ‘Easter egg’ type bonuses such as theatre billboards announcing shows like Margaret Hamilton The Musical (a nod to the actress who played the Wicked Witch of the West in the film), Witch Side Story and even something called The Wizard with a picture of Judy Garland in her Dorothy outfit!

This kind of wit, sophistication and imagination seeps into the very DNA of this show to add variety to a structure that otherwise mirrors exactly that of the famous film and in which the exuberant, multi-talented cast revels as they get to respectfully recreate the characters with whom we are all familiar while being allowed to incorporate their own riffs and quirks.

And that cast is a terrific combination of established artists and relative unknowns with Jason Manford the big marquee name as The Cowardly Lion. Moreso than any other cast member, Manford decides to initially channel the spirit of the original film by going full Bert Lahr when he makes his initial appearance but settles down into a beautifully warm-hearted portrayal that often makes use of his legendary stand-up comic skills (quite a few lion puns to be had!) while admirably never being tempted to drop out of character with any asides to the audience.

Stage musicals may be a relatively new arena for JLS band member Aston Merrygold but he puts his experience as a pop performer and former Strictly contestant to great use as The Tin Man especially with his opening song If I Only Had A Heart which he turns into an r’n’b and rap number.

Meanwhile, Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK champion The Vivienne is an absolute revelation as The Wicked Witch of the West. What an incredible presence this performer is! She commands the stage every time she steps on to it and delivers her musical moments with the confidence, skill and power of a West End veteran.

And it is wonderful to see 80s TV comedy and quiz show stalwart Allan Stewart - now a regular panto favourite - make a memorable impression in his two small but significant roles as Professor Marvel and The Wizard

However, there are two unfamiliar faces which emerged as ones to watch and for whom this should be the launch pad to illustrious careers if there is any justice in the world.

The first was Benjamin Yates who turned the Scarecrow into an irresistible and effervescent cowboy, oozing charisma from every stalk of straw, effortlessly amusing throughout and using his extraordinary athleticism and physicality for an energetic performance that never ran out of steam.

And my goodness it takes a rare performer indeed to have the courage to step into the mighty ruby slippers of Judy Garland but I feel confident in saying no one has ever done it as successfully as rising star Aviva Tulley.

Over The Rainbow is like the To Be Or Not To Be of musical theatre - you suspect anyone who has to deliver it does so with a mix of delight and dread especially as it appears so early in the story.

But from the moment Tulley sang her first note, you could not help but be awe struck by the immense power of her vocals and this talent extended to her overall portrayal of Dorothy whom she played with an inner strength that made it entirely believable that she was capable of going toe to toe with the Wicked Witch at the end.

As if this were not enough, the ensemble were exhilarating in their delivery of Shay Barclay’s choreography and I cannot remember an orchestra ever delivering a musical theatre score with the immersive power experienced here.

All of this is masterminded by world class theatre director Nikolai Foster who judges every moment to perfection right up to the final image - instead of ending with a big production number, he has Tulley’s Dorothy and Toto (portrayed throughout with an on stage puppeteer) silhouetted against the backdrop of their Kansas home as the lights fade. Genius!

The Wizard of Oz can be seen at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Sunday, May 5.

NEWSLETTER: Sign up for CheshireLive email direct to your inbox here