Wicked

The Alhambra

ANYONE who grew up watching The Wizard of Oz, and that's pretty much everyone, may still occasionally be haunted by Margaret Hamilton's cackling, child-hating Wicked Witch of the West. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why she seems so bitter? Or why she's green?

Inspired by and re-imagining the characters and stories of L Frank Baum's much-loved Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Wicked challenges what you think you know. It hints that you haven't been told the whole story, and gradually unveils the hidden pieces. And along the way, Elphaba, the misunderstood young woman at the centre of the show, exposes the secrets and revelations of Oz.

Elphaba is the girl with green skin who defies gravity - and I defy you to watch this show and not fall for her. Played beautifully in this production by Jacqueline Hughes, the sorcery student who grows up to be the Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most endearing characters ever in musical theatre.

Having never seen Wicked before, I'd always assumed it was a show for little girls. Frozen in witches' hats, if you like.

And it is a show for girls, with themes of friendship and loyalty at its heart, but it's also much, much more than that. Wicked touches on wider issues of racism, bullying, corruption, propaganda, animal rights and free speech.

On paper, it might look a bit weighty - but you really have to see Wicked to be spellbound by it. Winnie Holzman's sparkling book waves a wand over some pretty serious issues, and sprinkles them into a heady brew blending fairytale with rom-com. The result is a funny, moving, exciting, thought-provoking and hugely entertaining journey through both the prequel and sequel to the Oz story. Not for nothing has this show won more than 100 awards, including three Tonys and two Oliviers.

Woven among the spectacular effects, not least a mesmerising close to Act 1, is laugh-out-loud comedy and some genuinely touching moments. When Elphaba and her initial nemesis, Glinda, first meet at school, the pair try to sum each other up. Glinda splutters her way through a clumsy description of the impossible-to-describe green girl, while Elphaba wearily sums up her popular classmate in just one word: "Blonde."

Both Jacqueline Hughes, as Elphaba, and Carly Anderson, as Glinda, were on stage for pretty much the entire two-and-a-half hour show and the pair gave captivating performances. I was blown away by Hughes; she held the audience in her grip, from the intimate scenes when she struggled with rejection, love and friendship, captured in the poignant I'm Not That Girl, to the huge, show-stopping numbers like Defying Gravity, when her powerful voice filled the packed auditorium.

Anderson was delightful as Glinda; delivering a flawless comic performance that was equally touching. In Popular we saw superficial Glinda, while in her reprisal of I'm Not That Girl she revealed maturity and self-awareness.

Steven Pinder was a marvellous Wizard, capturing the pathos of a flawed leader, and in the dual role of Doctor Dillamond, a knowing victim of Oz oppression.

Great performances too from Bradley Jaden as Fiyero, Kim Ismay as Madame Morrible, Emily Shaw as Nessarose and Iddon Jones as Boq. They will all make you gasp, in their own way.

Last night's glittering performance saw stars from Coronation Street and Emmerdale heading up the 'green carpet', and afterwards the fountains in Bradford's Mirror Pool spouted green water, in homage to the show. This is the only place outside London where you can see Wicked this year - let it cast its spell on you.

Runs until August 21.