All three were on point with their characterisations but Ben Stanton as Lion was the standout. That is a gripe within the writing and not Luke White’s measured performance. It holds the story and thus it becomes stilted. However, I have a gripe: when we’re introduced to Tin Man, we linger on the humour longer than what is necessary.
Luke White (Hickory/Tinman), Ben Stanton (Zeke/Lion) and Gordon Ritchie (Hunk/Scarecrow) were wonderful. Protagonists and antagonists aside, the supporting cast were also very good. Her opposite, The Wicked Witch, played by Ashleigh Maddison (doubles up as Miss Gulch), gave an incredible performance too – playing the age-old trope of the “hook-nosed evil witch” to absolute perfection. Her acting performance and singing performance were flawless I was on her side from the get-go until the final curtain call. What a powerful set of lungs, those pipes! And if they ever do remake The Wizard of Oz (God forbid) in film form, Perryman shouldn’t be far from the casting director’s radar. And I’d go as far as to say that Perryman in the role gives Judy Garland a run for her money.
Samantha Perryman was born to play Dorothy, a young woman from rural Kansas. She battles new enemies, including The Wicked Witch (Ashleigh Maddison) and journeys to meet the mysterious Wizard of Oz who she thinks can help her return home and possibly grant her new friends with a brain, a heart and courage. Here she makes new friends including Tin Man (Luke White), Scarecrow (Gordon Ritchie) and Lion (Ben Stanton). When they’re caught in a tornado, they are somehow transported from Kansas in the American Midwest to the magical Land of Oz. In this heartfelt musical based on the film starring Judy Garland, I was witness to another telling of the story of Dorothy (Samantha Perryman) and her dog Toto. The timeless themes of friendship, belief and love can be carried through into modern times.
Their rendition of the Golden Age classic provides a door to Oz for a new generation of fans, through the directorial prowess of Martyn Knight. In the past, the company have done productions of Grease, Annie, 42 nd Street and My Fair Lady. Northampton Musical Theatre Company’s latest production The Wizard of Oz at Royal & Derngate is a knockout. Tre Ventour reviews The Wizard of Oz at Royal & Derngate for half term this week…
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