‘It’s good to see me, isn’t it?’: Wicked lands at the Lyric Theatre

It’s good to see me, isn’t it? No need to respond, that was rhetorical. – Glinda

Even if it is rhetorical, the answer to Glinda’s question is obvious from the moment that Courtney Monsma glides down in her bubble.

Monsma stars in the newest production of Wicked at the Lyric Theatre. Despite being its third run in Sydney, Wicked continues to enchant audiences, bringing the tale of Elphaba, Glinda, and the Wizard in the land of Oz to life with a strong cast where standout performances abound.

Monsma is fabulous as Galinda-turned-Glinda. Somehow preppy, popular, and a little bit prissy whilst remaining endearing at the same time, Monsma has created a Glinda who despite her popularity is a bit of a dork. Monsma skilfully moves from sincerity to sharpness, and back again, as we start to see the many facets of a character that could easily be played as one-dimensional.

With impressively strong vocals and an energetic physicality, Monsma is magnetic on stage with Sheridan Adams’ Elphaba. From the palpable tension in “What is this feeling?” through to emotional pleas in “Defying Gravity” and a bittersweet emotional gut-punch in “For Good”, Monsma and Adams had me wishing that Glinda and Elphaba had their own moment of happily ever after.

Adams delivers a compelling Elphaba from show-stopping moments in “Defying Gravity” through to powerful solos in “The Wizard and I” and “I’m Not That Girl”. In these rare moments of staging simplicity, where she appears by herself in the vastness of the Lyric’s stage, Adams has the stage and the audience easily under her spell.

The stage itself evokes awe from the moment you enter the theatre, with steampunk styled giant cogs and winding staircases extending from the front of the stage, complete with a dragon protruding from the proscenium. The ensemble weave around the stage, adding to the effectiveness of the many set pieces that enter the stage. This is particularly effective in the number “Dancing Through Life” where Liam Head skilfully bounds around the stage as Fiyero. With immersive effects that extend beyond the stage, Wicked easily maintains its magic.

In such a mechanical-looking set, there is something appealing about the practicality of the production. If you’ll forgive the slight spoiling of the magic, a keen-eyed audience member might notice the manual spot operators and puppeteering — I thoroughly enjoyed trying to figure out how everything worked.

From vivid sunsets filled with hues of pinks and greens to enchanting twinkling fairy lights, the lighting design is highly effective. A notable moment involved a large silhouette of Elphaba present behind Glinda, before the audience had seen her on stage. The lighting commands the size of the stage, expanding to full width for the ensemble but pinpointing to a spotlight for more intimate moments.

The least effective moments of Wicked are the points where you are reminded that this show was written more than twenty years ago. The somewhat questionable plot lines and holes are somewhat saved by the pacing of the show, never leaving the audience to dwell too much in any particular moment. In such a detailed production, some of the simpler elements sometimes feel out of place — most notably a somewhat cursed green baby doll feels out of place amongst impressively intricate costuming, props and setting, albeit only appearing on stage for a few moments.

Whether you’ve listened to the cast recording or never heard a moment of it before, this version of Wicked manages to feel new and exciting. Between the wonderful cast, enchanting effects, and well-timed pacing, Wicked offers audiences a truly magical night at the theatre.

Wicked, it’s good to see you.

Wicked will be playing at the Lyric Theatre until 31 December.