The Wizard of Oz at the Curve: a ‘sumptuous’ but frantic new show
Leicester production features ‘incredible animated projections’

The Curve in Leicester has become a “musical theatre powerhouse” in recent years – staging a stream of hit shows and Christmas spectaculars, said Veronica Lee in the Daily Mail. Artistic director Nikolai Foster’s “sumptuous” new production of The Wizard of Oz is his latest triumph – a “visual as well as a musical feast”, with “lavish” costumes and charming puppetry: Toto is so “delightful” that the little dog “threatens to steal the show”.
The set design is clever too. To remind us that the original 1939 film was set in Depression-era America, there are projected newspaper headlines, and at the Wicked Witch’s castle, there is a “strong Nazi vibe”. In short, this terrific show will please theatregoers who like a production “to have a political or moral message, as well as those who just want to enjoy two hours of feelgood” musical entertainment.
It is the “startling and vibrant design” that really sets the production apart, said Phil Lowe on What’s on Stage. Some “incredible animated projections” help transport us, with Georgina Onuorah’s Dorothy, from the Kansas dustbowl in the 1930s to a “neon-lit technicoloured 1950s Americana-influenced” Munchkinland.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
This Oz is an “otherworldly” place, created by “sheer theatrical wizardry”, where cans of sweetcorn grow on stalks and witches fly around on motorbikes. Too good to miss, this “musical extravaganza” will “blow you away”.
The only trouble with all this technical wizardry, is that it rather overwhelms the storytelling, said Ryan Gilbey in The Guardian. It makes everything feel a bit “cluttered” and frantic. The cast deliver, though. In Onuorah, the show has a “winning” Dorothy. There’s a “knockabout” Scarecrow (Jonny Fines), a “precious” Tin Man (Paul French) and a “highly strung” Cowardly Lion (Giovanni Spanó).
Still, it seemed to me that some of the characterisation fails to convey the necessary warmth and wonder, said Donald Hutera in The Times. Fundamentally, the problem with this loud, “ostentatious” production is that it lacks “a deeper level of feeling. If it only had a heart…”
Curve, Leicester (curveonline.co.uk). Until 8 January
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipe
The Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 million
Feature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classic
The Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period drama
The Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thriller
The Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?
Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiry
The Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’