**Productions of Wicked are currently showing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on 17 Wilton Road, and not at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue**
Wicked is perhaps one of the most popular musicals ever to be performed, with audiences worldwide flocking to see the tale of the witches of Oz in the years long before and then after Dorothy enters the scene. Since its opening in October 2003 on Broadway, over 2 million people have seen the musical and it has smashed record after record at the box office, including in the West End where it still holds the title of biggest opening (with over £100,000 taken in the first hour of ticket sales). Wicked has managed the rare feat of mirroring the adulation of the public with the approval of the critics, with previous accolades including a Tony award for Best Actress and an Olivier award for Most Popular Show.
Story
The musical is a reimagining of the land of Oz known to audiences from the Wizard of Oz film of the 1930s, transporting us back in time beyond Dorothy’s arrival in this world to the magical education of two witches, Elphaba and Glinda, who will eventually become the Wicked Witch of the West and Good Witch of the North. Against the backstory of the famous events of Oz that fans of the original novel and film will know so well, Wicked details the course of the two girls’ friendship up to and beyond the appearance of Dorothy, and combines fantasy with the exploration of why one becomes good and the other evil. The songs in the musical are dramatic and almost like a film score, and include numbers like ‘For Good’ and the emotional new classic ‘Defying Gravity’.
The popularity of Wicked across the last 8 years can be seen in its encroachment upon popular culture, with references to the show appearing in TV series as diverse as Glee, The Simpsons, Ugly Betty and Brothers & Sisters. The 2009 production of Shrek the Musical parodied its music, and John Barrowman adapted the song ‘The Wizard and I’ during his UK tour in 2008.
Tickets
Performances of Wicked can be viewed in London’s West End at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and are at present showing at 7.30pm from Monday to Saturday with additional matinee performances at 2.30pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays. There is a selection of different seats available in the stalls and the circle, depending on how close you want to feel to the action and what you are prepared to spend per ticket. Wicked the musical tickets are available from as little as £22.50 per person and reductions for top-priced seats to £62.50, as well as a number of great dinner and show packages. More information on Wicked is available at Wicked London.org and a seating plan for the Apollo Victoria Theatre can be found at Apollo Victoria Theatre.org