Jason Manford and Ashley Banjo will be following the yellow brick road to the London Palladium this summer when Leicester Curve’s hit production of The Wizard of Oz arrives in London before embarking on a UK tour.
Comedian and musical theatre star Manford (The Producers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, UK tours) will play the Cowardly Lion alongside innovative dance troupe Diversity’s driving force Banjo who will make his West End musical debut in the role of the Tin Man. Further star casting will be confirmed at a later date.
Presented by Michael Harrison, the producer of last year’s successful UK tour of the hit Palladium production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the Made At Curve production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams’ adaptation of the classic story will fly into the Palladium from 23 June until 3 September 2023. The press night will be on 6 July.
The tour will open with a Christmas season at the Liverpool Empire with performances beginning on 13 December. Following the Liverpool run which will end on 7 January 2024, the production will visit Southampton, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Southend, Norwich, Llandudno, Bradford, Plymouth, Bristol, Nottingham and Newcastle. Further dates are to be announced.
Announcing the tour, Harrison said: “There really will be no place like the Liverpool Empire this Christmas, as Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion embark on their journey down the Yellow Brick Road. Nikolai Foster and his team have created a new and magical production of this beloved musical, and we can’t wait to take the show to Liverpool and then to audiences all around the country.”
Directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster, the production is choreographed by Shay Barclay with set design by Colin Richmond, projection design by Douglas O’Connell, costume and puppet design by Rachael Canning, lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Adam Fisher. The team also includes creative consultant Mark Kaufman, musical director and musical supervisor is George Dyer, magic consultant Scott Penrose, casting director Kay Magson, props supervisor Marcus Hall Props, costume supervisor Anna Josephs and wigs, hair and makeup designer Elizabeth Marini.
Featuring music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, additional music by Lloyd Webber and additional lyrics by Tim Rice, the hit version of L. Frank Baum’s classic story of Dorothy’s magical adventure is adapted by Lloyd Webber and Sams.
Based on the enduringly popular 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz features the iconic songs from the movie including ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ along with new music and songs by Lloyd Webber and Rice.
Reviving their successful West End musical-writing partnership for the first time in three decades, Lloyd Webber and Rice’s The Wizard of Oz premiered at the Palladium in 2011 following a high-profile TV talent search for an unknown actress to play Dorothy. Danielle Hope won the battle to wear the ruby slippers opposite Michael Crawford as The Wizard for the show’s opening run with fellow finalist Sophie Evans stepping in 2012. Russell Grant and Des O’Connor also took on the role of The Wizard during 2012.
Curve’s production was the regional premiere production of Lloyd Webber and Sams’ adaptation.
Angela Thomas
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