Jason Manford is a must-see as the Cowardly Lion in this modern staging of a classic. ★★★☆☆

Although lacking in the scale and impact of our Hollywood memory, this modern take on The Wizard of Oz is a thoroughly enjoyable show that I would encourage you to see if you can secure a reasonably priced ticket this summer. Toto is now a War Horse-style puppet – the Munchkins are not Munchkin-like at all and ironically are much taller than the very petite Glinda. Gary Wilmot lends much needed star power (although his talents are not utilised to the fullest in the role of The Wizard with his few forgetful songs).

Georgina Onuorah (seen previously as the alternate eponymous hero in ALW’s Cinderella) lends a beautiful voice to the role of Dorothy and sings her role with a pleasing power. The real star of the show, is Jason Manford who despite being known for his comedy, has an excellent voice that is paired brilliantly with the caricature of the character we love from the film: his exaggerated New York bravado and subsequent bawling (whilst petting his tail in comfort) is a crowd pleaser and much appreciated comic relief from what feels like a panto plot with a half-hearted message.

Entertainment ★★★☆☆

Without Manford’s wonderful homage to Bert Lahr’s Cowardly Lion as the highlight, this would easily be a 2-star otherwise.

Musicality ★★★☆☆

The original numbers from the film are of course excellent, and Georgina Onuorah’s voice was faultless. Some of the iconic numbers (such as the Tin Man’s If I Only Had a Heart) were adapted to provide as little vocal challenge for non-professional singers and instead place precedence on Ashley Banjo’s ability to dance like a robot. Obligatory filler songs were unmemorable but pleasant enough and helped to remind us eventually of the message of home we are supposed to shed a tear over.

Value ★★★★☆

For this performance (Saturday before end of summer term) there were incredibly good value seats available for a west end production. A family of 4 could secure higher tier seats for the price of one ticket at the most expensive productions in London. For this reason, I have awarded 4 stars with the knowledge that there are future deals and reductions over the summer aimed at families. I would not want to pay top dollar despite the lure of a starry cast.