Craig Revel Horwood & RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s The Vivienne to star in The Wizard of Oz UK & Ireland tour
Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne are off to see the wizard later this year as they join the cast of The Wizard of Oz UK & Ireland tour. The pair will both play The Wicked Witch of the West in the upcoming tour of The Wizard of Oz.
Craig Revel Horwood will perform as The Wicked Witch of the West at New Victoria Theatre, Woking; Grand Opera House, Belfast; Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin; Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham; King’s Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; Milton Keynes Theatre; Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff. The Strictly star has also been appearing in the UK tour of Annie.
The Vivienne will appear in a previously announced Christmas season at the Liverpool Empire as The Wicked Witch of the West before touring to New Theatre, Oxford; Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; New Theatre, Hull; Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol; Theatre Royal, Nottingham; Theatre Royal, Newcastle; Palace Theatre, Manchester; Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton and the Empire Theatre, Sunderland
West End star Gary Wilmot will reprise his West End role as The Wizard following a celebrated run at the world-famous London Palladium.
Aston Merrygold (also previously announced) will perform as The Tin Man in Liverpool.
Craig Revel Horwood says: “I am super excited about taking on the iconic role of The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. She’s mean, green and wants those shoes! Aquaphobic and fab-u-lous…here I come!”
The Vivienne adds: “It is quite literally a dream come true to be asked to play The Wicked Witch of the West and to bring this amazing character to life. The Wizard of Oz means everything to me, it’s the ultimate story of overcoming adversity. I first saw the movie aged five and I’ve probably seen it about 100 times since. I played The Tin Man at primary school and got to skate to ‘Over The Rainbow’ on Dancing on Ice so it’s fair to say I’ve had a life-long love affair with the story. Your favourite characters are all there, telling the story you know and love … but with SO much more added to this new production. Prepare to be whisked into an amazing new world of colour.”
Gary Wilmot, who reprises his London Palladium role as The Wizard continues: ”I am delighted to revisit a role so wonderful, it’s in the name! Performing as The (wonderful) Wizard in a smash-hit season at the London Palladium was truly a magical experience and I can’t wait to share that with venues around the country next year.”
The Wizard of Oz opens its UK and Ireland tour at Liverpool Empire Theatre on Tuesday 13 December 2023, playing an extended festive season through Sunday 7 January 2024.
Following it’s Christmas season at the Liverpool Empire, complete dates for The Wizard of Oz’s UK and Ireland tour are today confirmed as: New Theatre, Oxford; Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; New Theatre, Hull; Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield; Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh; Cliffs Pavilion, Southend; Theatre Royal, Norwich; Venue Cymru, Llandudno; Alhambra Theatre, Bradford; Theatre Royal,Plymouth; Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol; Theatre Royal, Nottingham; Theatre Royal,Newcastle; Palace Theatre, Manchester; New Victoria Theatre, Woking; Grand Opera House, Belfast; Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin; Hippodrome Theatre, Birmingham; King’s Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; Milton Keynes Theatre; Wales Millenium Centre, Cardiff; Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, before concluding it’s run at the Sunderland Empire next August.
Featuring the iconic original score from the Oscar-winning MGM film, including Over The Rainbow, Follow The Yellow Brick Road and We’re Off To See the Wizard – with additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice – this spectacular production is a magical experience for all the family.
Book The Wizard of Oz – UK & Ireland Tour tickets
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