While The Wizard of Oz did not quite blow me away at Norwich Theatre Royal, it was still a musical packed with charm.
It is on tour direct from a run at The London Palladium, featuring all the songs from the Oscar-winning 1939 film.
There are additional numbers by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and this production debuted in 2011, after Dorothy was cast in the BBC reality show Over the Rainbow.
READ MORE: Dates announced for Lord Mayor's Weekend with parade shake-up
Except for the heartfelt closing ballad Already Home, sung beautifully by Emily Bull as Glinda, the rest of the new songs were quite forgettable compared to the original ones.
While the Tin Man is searching for a heart, this musical still has plenty of it.
Aviva Tulley gave a solid performance as Dorothy, assisted by superb puppetry from Abigail Matthews as Toto.
RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne was spellbinding as the Wicked Witch of the West, but it was her immaculate make-up that left me green with envy.
The real scene stealer was Nic Greenshields, who city audiences may recognise as he played Javert when Les Misérables came to Norwich.
He commanded the stage with his self-deprecating, quivering Cowardly Lion and his comrades Marley Fenton (The Tin Man) and Benjamin Yates (The Scarecrow) complimented him with great physicality.
READ MORE: City brand hosting three-day warehouse sale with big discounts
Despite the stellar cast, the heavy reliance on video screens instead of sets was quite distracting.
While this worked in some parts, such as in Munchkinland and Emerald City where lots of colour added to the magic, in others it took away from the action on stage - particularly in Kansas before the tornado.
West End stalwart Gary Wilmot also felt a little underused as The Wizard.
If you are following the yellow brick road to Norwich Theatre Royal this week, you are in for an enjoyable evening.
The show runs until March 3 - book tickets at norwichtheatre.org
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel