upfront
SOMETHING WICKED
THIS WAY COMES
With the world-famous musical about to come to Cardiff, Heather Arnold and
James Sidwell catch up with the cast of Wicked to find out what makes it work.
Y
ou would think that having a slightly
swollen face would be the least of worries
for a woman whose face, neck and chest
are all bright green, but that is what
Wicked star Nikki Davis-Jones says to me as we sit
down in her dressing room only an hour before her
next performance.
“I think I look better green. I do better pulling men!”
Nikki laughs before slurping on an equally green
smoothie, “I only eat green things, I’m green inside
and out!”
Backstage at Wicked is like being in a fairytale
dreamed up by Vivienne Westwood after downing
a bottle of absinthe and indulging in a Tim Burton
movie marathon. There are eerie masks, oddly
shaped props and hundreds of stunning costumes in
every shade of green you can imagine.
The globally adored musical has moved far beyond
its beginnings in San Francisco 11 years ago. After
trumping Broadway, and later London’s West End,
the show now tours all over the world and this month
the first ever UK tour of Wicked comes to the Wales
Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
With outstanding sets and a heart-wrenching score,
the show tells the alternative story behind The Wizard
Of Oz and follows green-skinned outcast Elphaba,
known to many as the ‘wicked witch of the west’,
as she heads off to university and makes unlikely
friendships with the blonde and bubbly ‘good witch’
Glinda, and seemingly arrogant posh-boy Fiyero.
“The story is of friendship, it’s such a beautiful tale,”
explains Nikki, who plays Elphaba, “everyone has a
best friend so everyone can relate to what they go
through. People can relate to Elphaba because she’s
so misunderstood, and so many people can relate to
that, and to the bullying.”
“We flip those ideas of the good witch and the wicked
BUZZ 18
witch on their heads,” says Emily Tierney (Glinda).
“Most people have seen the film The Wizard Of Oz,
but we take these two iconic witches and show that,
actually, one wasn’t quite so nice, and one who was
perceived as evil and wicked because of the colour of
her skin was actually fighting for freedom.”
Not new to the Wicked world both Nikki and Emily have
had smaller roles in the West End version of the show.
“I was the standby in the West end for two and a half
years,” Nikki recalls; “so when Rachel Tucker, who
played Elphaba, was on holiday or sick or vocally
tired then I’d go on. It was great, I loved that job, but
it was a really strange discipline-wise as you have to
keep yourself fit and healthy in case someone else
isn’t well. You come to live by someone else’s life. So
to be asked to come on tour as Elphaba was like a
dream come true!”
In the words of Kermit The Frog, it isn’t easy being
green, and the new cast had to face making these
well-loved roles their own.
“There are certain things that just come with Wicked.
You have to stick within certain guidelines around the
world. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” says Nikki, “but
we’re very free. We worked with the original Broadway
director Joe Mantello. He really let the reins go and
said, ‘What would you do? How would you feel?’
“I remember reading it all through in my own accent,
making it real again for me. It was really refreshing”.
The show’s stunning songs and a captivating storyline form a strong base, but Wicked is famous for being
a big, bright and beautiful visual spectacle and the fact
that this touring show has to pack up and move on
every month doesn’t mean it is any less extravagant.
“People are bowled over by the score and how
challenging these songs are. And the costumes,
the sets, are so sumptuous and exciting to look at,”
says Emily. “When I was the ensemble, years ago,
I had about nine different wigs! Every scene looks
completely different, but for older people there’s
quite a powerful story to connect with as well.”
With a six-week run in Cardiff, and at least one show
most days, it looks like there is no rest for Wicked
and tickets aren’t likely to stay around for long –
even with 55 shows scheduled. After all, once you go
green you’ll always stay keen.
Wicked, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Bay, Wed 12 Mar-Sat 26 Apr. Tickets: £20£179. Info: 029 2063 6464 / www.wmc.org.uk
pic: MATT CROCKETT