Wicked @ The Mayflower, Southampton

I’ve always been wary of shows that develop a cult following… it seems the bigger the flock the worse the show (see the likes of Mamma Mia or We Will Rock You for classic examples). As such I’ve long skirted a wide line around Wicked because its fans seem among the most rabid around. Last night I finally gave in and went to see the show… and it wasn’t at all bad!

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to be making it into any lists of top or favourite shows, but there’s a lot to enjoy here. Maybe it’s because the two central characters are being played to perfection. Emily Tierney’s Glinda is so bubbly and perky you feel a little bit sick in your mouth, but at the same time she displays a touching vulnerability. Ashleigh Gray meanwhile is a steely and determined Elpheba with a hugely powerful voice. That she takes Defying Gravity (so over-performed it might be this generation’s Memory or Don’t Cry For Me Argentina) and makes it her own pretty much says it all.

It’s a shame then that the script (and at time the lyrics) really let things down. Schwartz has given this show the best score he will ever pen but the words are all too often ill fitting, while the dialogue is disappointingly bland and basic, just begging for someone to give it a good tidy up.

That said, both leads and the rest of the cast give it their all in what is undoubtedly the most talent-laden I’ve seen on a tour. They sing beautifully, the costumes are gorgeous and the set is exquisite. Normally when a show goes out on the road corners are cut, sometimes a whole new set is built, something simpler and easier to transport but this would appear to be the real deal through and through!

If like us you get to a lot of shows, you enjoy complex storylines and perhaps, you’re just a little bit older you might find Wicked leaves you wanting more, but I can’t think of a better show to hook young theatre goers… and in the end this is a show for them and judging by the people sat around me last night they loved it!