Wicked, “one of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), will fly to cities in England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland from December 2023, and producers today announce that the cast will be led by former West End ‘Elphaba’ Laura Pick. The spectacular touring production opens this Christmas at the Edinburgh Playhouse, where an incredible 70,000 tickets have already been sold, and continues to Bristol, Birmingham, Bradford, Southampton, Liverpool, Dublin, Sunderland, Cardiff, and Manchester.
Laura Pick:
“I’m thrilled to be leading the UK & Ireland tour cast of Wicked and to be given the opportunity to continue my journey in the unique and extraordinary role of Elphaba, which first began for me in the West End in 2017. Wicked has been a life and career-changing show for me and I am proud to be part of the cast taking this incredible musical back to theatres across the UK and Ireland.”
Tonight, Monday 27 February 2023, Laura Pick will perform one of the musical’s most iconic songs, ‘Defying Gravity’, as the BBC records ‘Big Night of Musicals’ at Manchester’s AO Arena. The television broadcast of the musical extravaganza is set for the Spring.
Laura Pick (Elphaba) was born in Wakefield and trained at Mountview. She made her London stage debut in July 2013 in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Her West End journey in Wicked began in 2017, when she was cast as the Standby for ‘Elphaba’. Laura subsequently assumed the starring role full-time, playing ‘Elphaba’ in the West End at more than 350 performances to huge acclaim.
It takes over 100 people on-stage and behind the scenes to deliver performances of this award-winning touring production of Wicked. Featuring all the celebrated spectacle, magic, technical wizardry, and more than 350 stunning costumes, this touring production has been acclaimed as “every bit the West End show” (The Reviews Hub) and “the ultimate Broadway experience for audiences all over the UK” (The Northern Echo).
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s musical, based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Michael McCabe, Executive Producer (UK & Ireland) of Wicked:
“Laura Pick’s powerhouse performance wowed West End audiences at more than 350 performances and we’re excited that audiences across England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland will now get to experience her thrilling vocals and passionate portrayal of Elphaba.”
The West End and Broadway musical phenomenon, that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, continues its open-ended run at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it is already the 12th longest running production in West End history.
For full tour details, to book tickets, or to sign up to access priority booking, visit www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk.
