THE curtain is rising on a new season of entertainment at Bradford Theatres - and a highlight this spring is the return of smash hit musical Wicked.
The spectacular production will fly back to the Alhambra from April 16 to May 19, starring Laura Pick as Elphaba and Sarah O’Connor as Glinda.
The show imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, revealing the events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
With songs by multi-Oscar and Grammy winner Stephen Schwartz, whose other shows include Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted, the show is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and written by Winnie Holzman, creator of hit US TV series My So-Called Life.
It takes more than 100 people on stage and behind the scenes to deliver each performance of this award-winning touring production of Wicked. Featuring all the show’s celebrated spectacle, magic, technical wizardry, and more than 350 costumes, it’s a gigantic production.
The West End and Broadway musical phenomenon continues an open-ended run at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre where it is now in its 18th year.
Winner of more than 100 awards, Wicked has been seen by 65 million people worldwide and recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Broadway premiere. The two-part Universal Pictures film version of Wicked will be released in November, then November 2025.
For tickets call (01274) 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk
* OVER at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax, the new season is jam-packed with stars of music and comedy
It gets underway in February, with a concert by Wet Wet Wet, with special guests China Crisis, then legendary Scottish singer, songwriter, musician and actress Barbara Dickson will bring her Farewell Tour to the theatre with her full band for one last time. Bradford rockers Smokie return with their Legacy Tour, and there’s a 25th anniversary celebration from Beyond the Barricade, the UK’s longest running musical theatre concert tour.
Northern Live, a night of Northern Soul, with a live band, returns, the Bootleg Beatles take a nostalgic whirlwind trip through the Sixties and folk queen Kate Rusby celebrates over 30 years of touring with her Est 1973 Tour.
Dance fans are in for a treat with a selection of dazzling shows featuring Strictly Come Dancing stars. Giovanni Pernice is back with his new show Let Me Entertain You and Strictly judge Anton du Beke brings An Evening with Anton du Beke. And Tap Factory features a sensational blend of dance, acrobatics and comedy from eight extraordinary performers.
There’s comedy from stand-ups Chris McAusland, Tim Vine, Pub Landlord Al Murray, Sarah Millican, Leigh Francis and Tom Allen.
Family shows include The Sooty Show with his 75th birthday spectacular, and Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out.
And for sports fans Jeff Stelling, anchor man of Soccer Saturday for over 30 years, delivers an evening of football nostalgia while snooker stars Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis recreate the matches that saw them rise to the top, in Snooker Greats Clash of the Titans.
Visit victoriatheatre.co.uk or call (01422) 351158.
* IN Huddersfield, the Lawrence Batley Theatre’s spring season features a new co-commission, the return of an internationally acclaimed dance company and “the bravest, boldest shows from Northern theatre-makers”.
Commissioned by ThickSkin and Lawrence Batley Theatre, Peak Stuff comprises three fast-paced, funny stories taking a deep-dive into consumer culture and how it shapes our identity. Featuring live drumming, spectacular lighting and a striking video design, Peak Stuff is a cautionary tale for modern times.
Acclaimed choreographer Jasmin Vardimon’s work returns to the Yorkshire stage, ahead of an international tour, in ALiCE, a bold re-imagining of Lewis Carrol’s 1865 novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The show tells the story of a woman unsure of her identity or where she’s going. As she escapes and explores, discovering the powers within her changing body, the world around her is different, curious, compelling - at times bonkers!
Heading for the theatre’s experimental space the Cellar Theatre, BI-TOPIA is Sam Danson’s semi-autobiographical show about his struggles with mental health, his sexuality and masculinity. Performed by Sam, this candid, comedic performance is set in a metaphorical warzone in the early 2010s.
The Polar Bear (Is Dead) is a playful show with a serious ecological message, performed by a cast of two - Natalie Bellingham in the venue and Daniele Pennati on Zoom from Milan. Ultimately full of hope, it includes a plant, a polar bear, the Spice Girls and a conversation with Natalie’s mum about the end of the world.
Meet Parveen, written and directed by Beccy Durham, stars Madiha Ansari as a woman navigating the menopausal journey. At 45 or 46 (she can’t quite remember), Parveen grapples with a myriad of symptoms, night sweats to forgetfulness, as she tries to maintain a sense of self amid the changes.
Becky Dash, Chief Executive of the Lawrence Batley Theatre, says “As we move into another exciting year of music, dance, drama, musicals, and comedy we also mark a milestone for Lawrence Batley Theatre. We celebrate 30 years of bringing the best entertainment to Huddersfield.
“Creativity is for everyone and has proven benefits to mental and physical wellbeing; it reduces loneliness, increases confidence, and gives us all a community to belong to and be proud of.
“Live performance venues are one of the things that a town needs to be a great place to live and work, and we are here to do our community proud. People need a little magic in their lives, now so more than ever, and we make magic happen.”
* For tickets call (01484) 430528 or visit thelbt.org
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