Wicked, the hugely successful show in London is set to tour the UK from September 2013, beginning at Manchester’s Palace Theatre.
The London show, which premiered in 2006, continues at the Apollo Victoria Theatre with tickets currently on sale until November 2013. Although with the continued success of the show in London bookings are anticipated well past this date.
UK executive producer Michael McCabe said: “With Wicked continuing its phenomenally successful London run, we are very proud to also now be announcing this major tour of the UK and Ireland. We are absolutely delighted that the premiere will take place in the amazing city of Manchester which has such a prestigious history of hosting the regional premieres of so many world class musicals.”
Wicked, the record-breaking West End musical now in its 7th smash hit year at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, announced a new cast that took over in December 2012 and is due to star through 2013.
Louise Dearman previously played Glinda to huge acclaim (from March 2010 to December 2011) and is the first actress to have starred in both leading roles in the nearly decade-long history of this musical show.
Gina Beck continues to star as Glinda. Also joining the cast are Ben Freeman (Fiyero), Louise Plowright (Madame Morrible), Sam Lupton (Boq) and original cast member Katie Rowley Jones, who returns to the role of Nessarose. Keith Bartlett (The Wizard) and Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond) continue in their respective roles. Hayley Gallivan (Standby Elphaba) and Lucy van Gasse (Standby Glinda) have also joined the cast.
Wicked has music and lyrics by Grammy award-winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman and is directed by two-time Tony award-winner Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the best-selling novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, by Gregory Maguire.
Wicked is already the 16th longest-running West End musical of all time and recently celebrated its landmark 2500th performance (8 September 2012) and 6th Birthday (27 September 2012). The Olivier and Evening Standard Award winning London production has been seen by almost 5 million theatregoers since its West End premiere in 2006.
When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire’s acclaimed 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, re-imagined the land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900.
Following an encounter with The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, their friendship reaches a crossroads and their lives take very different paths. Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, will have unexpected and shocking consequences for her future. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
‘A major hit with audiences and critics alike’ (BBC News), Wicked won the 2010 Olivier Award for Most Popular Show and the 2010 and 2011 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best West End Show.
The Evening Standard raved: ‘A wicked and wonderful vision of Oz. A remarkable kaleidoscope of magical shocks, surprises and sensations, Wicked works like a dream.’
