The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
London theatre news: Tuesday 10 November 2020
Christmas shows
Creation Theatre's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', adapted and directed by Gari Jones, will run for two weeks online from 19 December.
Image courtesy Creation Theatre
Panto and Christmas shows are rather thin on the ground this year with many theatres having cancelled their festive offerings given the continuing situation with coronavirus.
But some companies are trying to make the best of the challenging circumstances by transitioning shows to the online arena.
One such production is a new adaptation of L. Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from Creation Theatre.
Audiences across the globe will be invited to escape reality and journey together to the magical Emerald land; where, along with the Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man and many more dreamlike characters, they will work together to get Dorothy back home.
28 shows are slated to be performed LIVE online in real time, across two weeks from the 19 December to 3 January.
The award-winning site-responsive and digital theatre-makers are aiming to create a surreal and anarchic adaptation of the famous and much-loved work, with all the storytelling, songs, magic and togetherness that Oxford's largest producing theatre company's Christmas shows are traditionally known for.
Usually to be found during the festive season at the North Wall Arts Centre, Creation Theatre is this year taking the anarchic spirit and style of their traditional family shows online, reuniting the team behind many of its Christmas hits including The Snow Queen, Peter Pan and A Christmas Carol.
Gari Jones, who has adapted and directed many of Creation's previous Christmas sell-outs, says of this 2020 adaptation ...
"This show will be playful, silly, surreal and anarchic but alongside it there's a tale with a heart that has a beauty and fragility.
It's also really poignant right now, especially when audiences may be feeling a sense of loss and isolation, so we wanted to try to recreate that sense of being able to hang out with your family and friends and experience a unique and fun night of surprises and liveliness."
About the company
Award-winning Creation Theatre is Oxfordshire's largest producing theatre company.
Specialising in classic texts and unusual locations for over 24 years, it brings the stories we know and love to life, performing in extraordinary spaces from the MINI car plant, The Bodleian Library, Oxford's historic Covered Market to The London Library.
In April 2020 the organisation moved swiftly to master the digital stage, to broadcast live performances online via Zoom.
Creation's education programme reaches hundreds of children annually through live digital performances, digital Drama Clubs and Holiday Workshops.
Previous notable productions include A Midsummer Night's Dream (2017) The Pit And The Pendulum (Bodleian Library 2018), Dracula (The London Library 2019), Don Quixote (The Covered Market, Oxford 2019) The Tempest (2019) The Snow Queen (North Wall Arts Centre 2019), The Tempest Live (Digital 2020), The Time Machine - A Virtual Reality (Digital 2020), Alice - A Virtual Theme Park (Digital 2020).
Show listing information
Synopsis
Just like Dorothy, we might have been whisked away to a new reality we barely recognise, but that doesn't mean we can't be together at Christmas.
Dial in to a brand new adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, with all the storytelling, songs, magic and togetherness that make a Creation Christmas show a tradition worth clinging on to.
For the first time you'll be able join the same audience on Christmas Eve as your auntie in Australia or the cousins in Canada.
This year we're choosing to fill your homes with festive cheer, reaching out to more people than ever.
Our online performance won't exclude anyone who's shielding, or ask you to take any risks to enjoy some festive fun.
Featuring the usual Creation Christmas team, live matinee and evening performances will take place online from 19 December - 3 January.
Tickets are £30 per device, and if you book the same show as someone you know you'll be able to spot them in the audience (Christmas hats optional!).
Cast
Chloe Lemonius - Dorothy
Simon Yadoo - Lion
Annabelle Terry - Wizard
Dharmesh Patel - Scarecrow
Andy Owens - Green & Monkeys
Shelley Atkinson - Beast
Tom Richardson - Tin Man
Creatives
Author: Adapted by Gari Jones from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Director: Gari Jones
Designer: Ryan Dawson Laight
Production: Creation Theatre
Venue
Dates
From: Saturday 19 December 2020
Closes: Sunday 3 January 2021
Tickets
Standard: £30 per device / per household
Links
Show website
ActDrop full listing for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
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