Wicked’s 20th Anniversary Review at Apollo Victoria Theatre London

Wicked celebrates its 20th Anniversary at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London on 27 September 2026 and will mark the occasion with a 20th Anniversary Gala matinee performance that day. In addition, it will make a weekend of it with a “Pink” Glinda celebration matinee performance and a “Green” Elphaba celebration evening performance, both on Saturday 26 September 2026. Previews started on 7 September 2006, with the opening 20 years ago on 27 September 2006, following the show’s Broadway success from the 2003 opening with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Idina opened in the West End as Elphaba opposite Helen Dallimore as London’s first Glinda, and a steady stream of strong female performers have upheld the roles since.

Wicked is a prequel to the classic The Wizard of Oz story and is inspired by Gregory Maguire’s novel. The music and lyrics are written by Stephen Schwartz and there are many stand out songs which are known beyond the Ozian theatre fandom. The musical follows Elphaba and Glinda from when they first met as students at Shiz University, through friendships, relationships, persecution and the experiences which make Elphaba “wicked” and Glinda “good.”

Performances – 5/5 ⭐️ 

We first meet Glinda when she floats in on a bubble in the opening “No-one Mourns the Wicked” and then asks the celebrating crowd: “Are people born wicked, or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?”  I did not see the current Glinda, Zizi Strallen, instead watching the Standby Glinda, Lydia Gerrard, who was on for my performance.  I have seen lighter, airier Glindas over the years, but Lydia was strong from this important first scene which sets the basis for the story. She successfully delivered comedy without overperformance in her “Popular” and her “Thank Goodness” solidly portrayed her more complex feelings. 

Lydia’s Glinda worked well with Elphaba, played by Emma Kingston. The pairing brought the best out of Glinda and Lydia alike, with great interaction in “Defying Gravity”, culminating in an excellent “For Good”. 

Elphaba’s first big song is “The Wizard and I”, and Emma delivered this with ease and clarity – in my notes I wrote “thoughtful, emotive, joyous, hopeful”. Her “I’m Not That Girl” was superb, “Defying Gravity” flawless and her vocals continued to be consistently strong throughout.

Her pairing with Fiyero, played by Jordan Litz, was balanced and believable, for example in “As Long as You’re Mine”. His “Dancing through Life” was everything that you’d hope for, smooth with clear control. I was intrigued to see Jordan, having followed the West End/Broadway exchange and interested to hear his accent work in the role.

The other noticeable accent used in the show was by the Wizard, played by Michael Matus, and it reiterated his visitor status. He portrayed the travelling showman with charm.

Madame Morrible, played by Claire Machin had great presence from her first scene, with comedy oozing from her characterisation: I had forgotten how much humour is contained generally within Act One, particularly the first Shiz scene. Claire equally delivered the veiled threat well when the first sign of discrimination emerged against Doctor Dillamond, played by David McKechnie. His intonation was excellent, appropriately sensitive where needed, and I particularly enjoyed his interaction with Elphaba. 

Boq, played by Ross Carpenter, was perky and spot on as his character developed alongside Nessarose, played by Yara Fabricante, who had a lovely tone. She seemed to perform beyond the chair, expanding out using expression and movement.

Lighting and Costumes 4 .5/5 ⭐️  

The costumes are stunning from start to finish, containing many details and textures to add to the production. The ensemble is not forgotten with amazing costume sets in different scenes, such as the Munchkins’ muted tones, the sharp Shiz uniforms, black and white Ozdust Ballroom finery and a green extravaganza in the Emerald City, all individual and detailed but working together in each scene. The opening of Chistery’s wings is always spectacular and I enjoyed seeing his costume on display in the theatre’s stairwell as well as one of Glinda and Elphaba’s dresses.

I did notice a couple of lighting dips, which made me feel that some sections were a little dark. For example, in the opening scene, the stage seemed to be in shadow. Although this must be by design so that Glinda is then lit from above, I could not see detail in the performances below. Also, later when Madame Morrible speaks from the side platform towards the end of Act One, her face was in shadow, which detracted from the delivery.

These types of lighting issues were perhaps due to my side seat, and the lighting would, of course, be most effective from a central view, but this was my experience. However, the stunning colouration in “Defying Gravity” is worthy of note and seems to improve with each of my visits over the past 20 years. I also particularly appreciated the shadow-work portrayal of Elphaba’s “death”.

Entertainment Value & Overall Experience – 5/5 ⭐️ 

The entire cast delivered an amazing show, and I enjoyed the paired interactions of Glinda and Elphaba plus Elphaba and Fiyero together. Every number hits, and the writing and songs are still relevant and powerful after 20 years. I did not pick up every story detail on my first watch at the Apollo Victoria in 2006, but I am still noticing new elements with each rewatch so there is a reason that it is still flying strong 20 years later.

Ozians will want to return for the special 20 year celebration merchandise, with a high proportion of new merchandise items plus existing retained products featuring the “20” logo.

Where I Sat   

I sat in seat O1 of the Stalls. This seat is at the end of a row but does not stick out, so you have the same amount of legroom as a regular seat. A bonus is that it has close access to the toilets. However, it does come with a warning that “there are times when the audience may miss parts due to the complex set”. This means that you do not have a full view of the stage so the rear right side facing you is blocked, but most action is further forward, plus this side of the theatre is the best side to see Glinda’s entrance.

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Wicked continues performances at the Apollo Victoria Theatre where it is currently booking to 30 May 2027.

Reviewed by Candace Ashby for SeatPlan, September 2026