Wicked Review - A Magical Night Out

Believe the hype.  ‘Wicked’ is one show in the West End that everyone seems to rave about. After seeing it you will be too! ‘Wicked’ tells the story of the two witches of the Wizard of Oz and how they came to be. Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good (played by Hayley Gallivan, the understudy of Louise Dearman and Gina Beck) meet at school and throughout a whirlwind of a tale we find out just how Elphaba came to be the Wicked Witch.

 The story is genius. As a prequel it takes a totally original direction and ends up changing the way you view the Wizard of Oz whilst seamlessly joining with the original tale. Unlike other attempts at creating a backstory (such as the recent film Oz: The Great and the Powerful) there is nothing predicable in this tale.

‘Wicked’ as well as being magical is also touching. The strong themes of friendship and standing up for what you believe in that run throughout are totally relatable, a great achievement for a fantasy story. The backstory of Elphaba is very believable and will completely change your perspective of the Oz story, and in a good way. If you couldn’t believe the charming world of Oz could be improved then be prepared to be shocked. ‘Wicked’ achieves the unachievable.

As soon as you walk into the theatre you are greeted with a huge and stunning set. It truly is magical! Every part of the set moves and interacts and becomes almost an extra member of the cast.  The Apollo theatre is a perfect fit as the stage is huge and is able to accommodate the vast scale of Wicked’s production. The use of special effects is also dazzling.

Elphaba and Glinda are perfectly cast. The chemistry between Gina Beck and Hayley Gallivan was palpable and made the show ever more believable and enjoyable.  Gina Beck is hilarious as Glinda and brings so many laughs throughout.

‘Defying Gravity’ is the highlight of the show. This song performed in the West End exceeds all expectations. If you are a fan of the Glee version of the song prepared to be blown away! Hayley Gallivan is one of the best performers I have seen, her voice is outstanding and more than once did I get goosebumps. Her performance of ‘Defying Gravity’ had everyone stunned into silence, wowed and more than a few people crying, before bursting into rapturous applause.

Gina is yet another performer with a brilliant voice. In fact every member of the cast sings incredibly well. The attention to detail paid to the supporting cast is fantastic. Every little aspect has been thought about and makes ‘Wicked’ such an incredible production.

The costumes are beautiful. Once again the quality and details are of the highest degree. The costumes not only are there to dress the cast, they are there to be a part of the show.  As Elphaba moves through her journey she starts off as a dowdy teenager but through getting to know herself her appearance evolves. As the people of Oz’s opinion of her changes so does the way she looks. ‘Wicked’ is a production where every single thing you see plays a part in the story.

The songs perfectly highlight what is happening in the show. Moving between drama, laughs and emotion I haven’t stopped listening to the soundtrack since leaving.

‘Wicked’ raises the bar in theatre. Every aspect is first class and this show is what modern productions in the West End must try and live up to. It is boundless in its execution, every member of the cast is exceptional, the sets dazzling, the songs mesmerising. ’Wicked’ is the best show I have seen in the West End. It truly is spellbinding. Do not miss out!

‘Wicked’ is currently playing at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. A UK tour starts in Manchester on 14^th September 2013. Visit www.wickedthemusical.co.uk for all the information your heart may desire!

For Colored Girls - Review

This week I had the pleasure of attending a screening of Tyler's Perry latest film 'For Colored Girls' at The New Black Film Club. All I can say is wow. This is one of the most powerful films I have seen in a long time. Not often do I leave a film and still be thinking about it days later but this is one of them. Poetic prose, beautiful acting, gripping drama and high emotions run throughout.  Powerful, intense, beautiful, deep, delicate - a true must see.

The film, based on the Ntozake Shange play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf", follows nine women as they struggle with issues such as abortion, domestic violence and rape. All nine women's lives are intrinsically interwoven and the film details the struggles each character faces before the tapestry entwining the women in revealed. This is achieved very delicately and highlights the fact that as humans we are all connected even if on the surface it is not obvious what the superficial connection is.

The film is an emotional rollercoaster. Funny, poignant, gripping and heartbreaking. I found the ability for a storyline to suddenly change from funny to horrifying something quite brilliant. Sometimes the film does seem to struggle when the poetic prose is spoken as it can be hard to follow, but if you persist you will find the beauty in the words recited. I found the dialogue about rape particularly touching and gave an incredible insight into female views and societal attitudes which was both eyeopening and very moving.

The aspect I am most impressed with is Perry's ability to write women which is just extraordinary. As a woman I feel every character was completely relatable and ultra realistic. This is an incredible talent to come from a man. I truly believe Perry's work should receive more praise as what he has achieved is something quite unique.

Through this understanding of women Perry manages to capture exactly the right emotions. As the characters as so relatable you can not help but be drawn away with these emotions yourself. Although many of the stories detail much tragedy all of the character are incredibly strong, resilient women. By the end female viewers will leave the cinema feeling empowered with a true sense of sisterhood that is achieved simply through knowing that as women we have a bond.

The cast is incredibly strong. Kimberley Elise, who plays Crystal, gives an outstanding performance. The fact that she hasn't been given an Oscar nomination is something that stuns me. Loretta Devine was superb as always and gave the film great moments of lightness to cut through some of the tragedy. Not much has been said of Thandie Newton's performance but I thought she also stood out. She played a fractured woman excellently.

I am a huge fan of Whoopi Goldberg but I feel that the role didn't enable Whoopi to fulfil her whole potential. I have also seen many reviews criticising Janet Jackson's performance, mainly stating she was wooden. I read one review that interesting though as it stated that the woodenness actually perfectly suited the character as Jackson played a women so concerned with saving face and appearing strong that she almost made a mannequin of herself, devoid of human emotion. I feel this is most probably the case and although I always felt like I was wanting a bit more from Jackson she actually played a hard faced bitch well! And once she realises that she needs to change I felt Janet created the correct balance between someone wanting to become a better person but finding it hard to shed themselves to do so.

The term 'colored' in the film does not directly relate to race (although this is an all black cast) but instead describes the tainting or colouring of a persons character when something bad happens to them. Although some of the issues seemed to have a stronger connection to black culture all women, or people in fact, regardless of their ethnicity, heritage, background or race can relate to the topics highlighted in the film.

I also liked that this film gave a true insight into black culture. I think in society today that non-black people feel they can to a degree understand what it is to be black, as there is more representation of black characters in media and black role models in society. But what this film shows is that we are all well versed in the white representation of black culture. What 'For Colored Girls' does is give an accurate portrayal of what it is to be black and female in modern society. This was eyeopening and refreshing.

I felt truly privileged to be able to watch this film in an all black audience and see first hand just how the audience reacted to the film. This is what made me realise that the film accurately represents what it is to be black and female today. The women were vocal about empathising with the females in the film and laughed joyously when a character was  gave attitude. The emotions portrayed on the screen were mimicked in the viewing as the audience related to the situations and reactions.



I also loved being in an environment with such community. Most people knew each other and if they didn't they were also certain to have a mutual friend to introduce you to new people. In London it is very rare for strangers to speak to each other so it was lovely to be able to converse with strangers. A discussion I have often with good friends is what does it mean to be British? And I often have trouble giving them an answer. I particularly find it hard when asked to define what it is to be white British. There is a real lack of culture in white British society and it was so refreshing to see community spirit is alive and well in other denominations of British culture.

I would like to say a big thank you to The New Black Film Club for a wonderful (and free!) screening. I will certainly be attending more events.

In conclusion this is a film that rarely comes along. Combining excellent scripting, outstanding acting, incredible characters and outstanding drama and emotions it is an experience that will stay with you long after you leave the cinema. This film certainly will connect more with women and as a woman I am so glad to have viewed something that left me feeling so empowered. 'For Colored Girls' gives so many truthful insight into what it is to be a woman and women's place in society that is it much more than just a film. Any film that can still get you thinking about the issues raised days after you have watched it is something quite remarkable. I highly recommend everyone to watch this film when they get the chance.

9.5/10