Spellbinding Wizard of Oz production works its magic at Milton Keynes Theatre

Direct from The London Palladium, the show takes audiences on an over the rainbow adventure withmuch-loved favourties Dorothy, the brainless Scarecrow, heartlessTinman and the cowardly Lion, hotly pursued by the wonderfully evil Wicked Witch of the West.

It features all the classic songs – Yellow Brick Road, We’re Off to See the Wizard and Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead, plus more composed specially by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - and you’re guaranteed to be singing them for days afterwards.

I took my almost five-year-old grandson, wondering if it might be a little too much for him to follow. It wasn’t, The boy remained raptly saucer-eyed throughout and, as soon as the curtain closed, demanded: “Please, please can we see this again”.

Dorothy, played by Aviva Turner, was a firm favourite, as was The Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates), Tinman (Femi Akinfolarin) and the magnificantly large Lion, who was played by 6ft 6in tall actor Nic Greenshields.

The Wicked Witch – Craig Revel Horwood – was gloriously green and gruesome but with an unexpected comedic side that got the audience tittering at times.

No Wizard of Oz would be complete without Toto the dog, of course. In this case Toto, although convincingly ‘real’, was a mechancial puppet controlled by Abigail Matthews. After a while you didn’t notice Abigail running about the stage bent double manipulating her canine charge, but full credit to her – it must be agonising on the lower back!

The sound and lighting effects, everything from bangs and flashes to melting witches, were spectatcular, as were the costumes. It’s a show designed to dazzle, and dazzle it most certainly did.

The Wizard of Oz is staged by Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group and adpated from the iconic story by L. Frank Baum. It is directed by Nikolai Foster, whose previous hits include Billy Elliot The Musical and A Chorus Line, while Shay Barclay was responsible for the impressive choreography.

The show opened this week at Milton Keynes Theatre, when it will run until Sunday July 21. Tickets are from £13 and avaialble to buy online here.