David Heywood, Thom Petty, Anne O’Riordan and Adam Crompton in the Octagon Theatre’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz at the Premier Suite, University of Bolton
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz continues at the Premier Suite, University of Bolton until 31 December 2018.
Star rating: two stars ★ ★ ✩ ✩ ✩
We’re not in Kansas anymore – instead, due to the extensive refurbishment of the Octagon Theatre, the venue’s festive production is performed from the Premier Suite at the University of Bolton Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers FC.
This contemporary version of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale was first performed at the Octagon in 2011 and relocates the opening sequence to Bolton Markets, where teenager Dorothy Broadbottom is desperate for a pair of new red trainers that her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry cannot afford. When a surprise cyclone hits Bolton, Dorothy finds herself transported with her dog Toto to the magical land of Oz.
Adapted by a team of nine writers in 2011, the script is peppered with local references which get the biggest laughs of the night and there are some nice ideas, such as Dorothy navigating the yellow brick road with the help of a Sat Nav. It is good to see the Octagon continuing to work with a young company of local children who fill out the ensemble as Munchkins and Monkeys.
Anne O’Riordan makes an extremely likeable Dorothy, with an energetic and committed performance; the audience is happy to follow her on her journey to the Emerald City. She soon meets David Heywood’s charming Scarecrow, who wishes he had a brain but comes up with all the best ideas.
However, as the group grows to include the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, it begins to feel too repetitive. With so much to pack into a relatively short running time, it does feel like the script is merely ‘ticking off’ the basic plot points without adding any more substance and the rest of the characters suffer from a lack of further development.
Sufia Manya’s villainous Wicked Witch of the West makes a couple of dramatic entrances, but ultimately her confrontation with Dorothy feels rushed and lacking in any real sense of threat.
The children are most engaged when Dorothy and her friends run down the aisles, chatting and asking them which way they should go. This is largely done to hide some clunky set changes though, and the intimacy of the Octagon auditorium is sorely missed.
In the cavernous Premier Suite, there is a distinct lack of atmosphere that no amount of video projections or lighting effects can re-create. It is unclear what the technical capabilities of the venue are, but with such a large space to fill it seems a shame that there is no flying, for example, in a show full of witches and winged monkeys.
Although correctly billed as a musical and not a pantomime, there is not quite enough audience participation to hold the attention of particularly young children and the music itself is largely a little bland.
With an entirely new score from Barbara Hockaday and Rob Hiley, there is only one catchy melody about the yellow brick road, which repeats often enough to just about lodge itself in the memory.
O’Riordan has a lovely voice and sings the ballads beautifully, but the songs themselves are unremarkable and anyone expecting anything like the infectious MGM film soundtrack by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg will be disappointed.
In this transition period for the Octagon, it is commendable that the productions are continuing and by bringing theatre to different venues in the local community hopefully a new audience will also be drawn in.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz remains a timeless story of friendship and adventure that is perfect for a family audience. Despite an inventive updating and some nice performances, however, this new musical version sadly falls short of providing enough fun for all the family. The flashes of creativity could do with a sprinkling of more magic to give children a truly unforgettable theatre experience.
May Mellstrom
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