THE witches of Oz will be spellbinding audiences in Bradford, when hit show Wicked comes to town.

Today the Telegraph & Argus exclusively reveals that the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon will run for five weeks at the Alhambra next year, prior to a major international tour.

The spectacular production will re-open in the UK at the Alhambra, following its recent tour of the UK and Ireland, making Bradford the only British city to host Wicked outside London in 2016.

Wicked, the untold story of the Witches of Oz, is the latest coup for the Alhambra, which also has two other major musicals hitting its stage next year. Last week, in another T&A exclusive, we announced that Mary Poppins is making its only Yorkshire stop at the Alhambra in November, 2016, and Billy Elliot will be at the theatre next May.

Tickets for Wicked will go on sale next month. Following its run in Bradford, the show will travel overseas to Asia for an international tour heading into 2017.

Adam Renton, general manager of Bradford Theatres, said: Hosting the international blockbuster Wicked next summer, for its only 2016 UK dates, is another magnificent milestone in the Alhambra’s history.”

The show's executive producer, Michael McCabe, added: “We are delighted to choose Bradford, and the magnificent Alhambra Theatre, as the city from which we will re-launch our spectacular UK and Ireland touring production as it embarks on an exciting journey around the world."

The multi award-winning London production continues its run at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it is now in its 10th year and the 19th longest-running show in West End theatre history.

Around the world, Wicked has already been seen by 50 million people in 13 countries, and won more than 100 international awards, including three Tony Awards on Broadway, two Olivier Audience Awards in the West End, and a Grammy.

Based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, Wicked is a clever re-imagining of the stories and characters created by L Frank Baum in The Wizard of Oz. It is the story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students, whose extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfill their destinies as Glinda The Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West.

With a score that includes the songs Defying Gravity, Popular and Dancing Through Life, Wicked has music and lyrics by multi-Grammy and Academy Award-winner Stephen Schwartz and is directed by Tony and Olivier Award nominee Joe Mantello.

* Wicked will run at the Alhambra from July 20 to August 21, 2016. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, November 24, available on (01274) 432000 or bradford-theatres.co.uk