BWW Reviews: WICKED's New Cast!

It was with trepidation that I attended the first night of Wicked London's new cast. I'm a longstanding fan of the show and have seen a range of pairings and understudies, and over the past three years I have to admit that I've grown quite attached to certain members of the cast and was sad to say goodbye. However, being an existing fan of more than one new cast member I was also optimistic about the change.

Thankfully, my optimism was not misplaced. The new ensemble demonstrate right from those famous opening lines that they are strong and cohesive, and certainly anyone who didn't know that it was their first night together wouldn't have been able to tell. Obviously they didn't have the polish that comes with time, but I have no doubt that it will come.

Louise Dearman gives us a very different Glinda than fans of Dianne Pilkington will be used to. Personally, I think this is a good thing. While I'm a big fan of Pilkington, to try and mimic such a well-loved actor's interpretation would have been a mistake, and Dearman manages to bring her own personality to the role. There is no doubt that she can manage the role vocally, and at many times is in her element comedically. Diehard fans may miss certain details that Pilkington brought to the character, but Dearman adds her own little touches and as she settles into the role will no doubt add more. While it will take me a little time to stop comparing the two, I very much enjoyed Dearman's performance and can't think of anyone better to have taken over the role.

Rachel Tucker, undoubtedly under the most pressure to prove that she can handle the role of Elphaba from the outset, did just that. She gives an honest and layered performance, visibly putting everything she has into the character. Vocally she tackles the belted notes with ease, comfortably adding her own riffs and style, with Defying Gravity and No Good Deed being the standouts of the evening for me. Her chemistry with Dearman is also very believable and their interactions are a joy to watch. In general she gives an emotional and impressive performance and I have no doubt that she will only get better as time goes on.

I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Lewis Bradley's performance as Fiyero. I don't consider myself a rabid Oliver Tompsett fan, but vocally I just haven't heard anyone tackle the role as well as he does, so I was happy to discover that Bradley did so remarkably well. Vocally he holds his own for the most part, and his chemistry with both Tucker and Dearman is extremely good. It will be interesting to see whether the chemistry is as good when Lee Mead starts in the role on the 10th May, at which point Bradley will be Mead's understudy, but for the first time I can say that I would be happy to see the show no matter who is playing Fiyero.

One of the most positive things I can say about the new cast is that there doesn't actually seem to be a weak link. I enjoyed everyone's performances and despite having seen the show numerous times before, still noticed new things as a result of fresh interpretations. Special mention goes to Clive Carter who gives a fantastic performance as the Wizard, and George Ure who takes over as Boq after understudying the role, presumably having been promoted due to his obvious talent in the role and deserved fan following.

Overall, I highly recommend that existing fans give the new cast a chance to prove how strong they are, and that anyone who hasn't yet seen the show does so as soon as they can!