Reviews

The Wizard Of Oz | Hexagon | Reading | 23.01.08 - 26.01.08

Strange as it may seem, I knew the characters and the songs, but somewhere in the mists of time I seemed to have missed out on the actual storyline.

I recall seeing a pig-tailed Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow in monochrome on DVD, but it wasn't until I took my seat in the Hexagon that it struck me that after all these years, I didn't actually know the story of the Wizard of Oz.

The Masquerade Theatre Company's production soon puts that right!

The cast are excellent, matched by the choreography and the band, while the sets are imaginative and jaw-dropping.

It all whizzes along nicely with the most important ingredient – atmosphere.

Georgia Oldman (just 14 years old) is a perfect double for Miss Garland as Dorothy, full of innocence and with a voice of purity and clarity.

Her mid-Atlantic dialect is superb and things really start to warm up when Dorothy meets up with her new-found friends along The Yellow Brick Road.

Damien Sollesse makes an excellent loose-limbed Scarecrow, while David Williams is the perfect foil as the Tin Man in search of a heart (and oil can).

Aled Davies, a newcomer to Masquerade, is the cowardly Lion.  He has a rich lyrical tenor voice and a larger-than-life stage presence.

He also brings great character and improvisation to the role of the Lion, who's scared of even his own shadow.

Equally impressive is Sam Rogers as the perfect Wicked Witch of the West.

You just want to hiss at her every time she appears, and cheer when she finally gets her come-uppance.

The biggest 'ahhs' of the night have to go to the real-life Toto and it was great that she wasn't replaced by a stuffed version half way through. Accept no substitutes when you've been enchanted by the real thing.

Those in the audience far too young to have ever heard of Judy Garland will accept it all for what it is - sheer fantasy and total entertainment.

Final praise from me goes to the 16-piece professional orchestra directed by Tim Crumper, who provides a sumptuous score with amazing sound effects.

If you missed Wizard of Oz then Masquerade's next production is Titanic the Musical at the Hexagon in Reading from the 3 to 7 June 2008.
If you're interested in taking part please email titanic@masquerade.org.uk