I have seen the show 8 times since my first viewing back in may 2009 and have stayed loyal to my original cast (Kerry Ellis, Dianne Pilkington and Oliver Thompsett) and still to this day think they were my favourites in the roles, however my most recent trip to the AV gave them a run for their money.
I was thoroughly impressed with this new cast. Gina Beck was so winning as G(a)lida, she played the part more over the top than previous actresses, but it worked so well and the audience seemed to be eating it up.
I got to see Nikki Davis Jones as Elphaba and what a pleasure that was. She is absolutely incredible, one of my favourite Elphies now. Her Defying Gravity was so powerful and left me almost speechless during the interval. She had the right balance of sass and vulnerability that is needed for the role.
On a less positive note, I wasn't wild on Matt Willis as Fiyero. He seems like a really lovely person but I don't think he portrays the character well. I think there are a lot of contributing factors as to why this is, his accent being one. I just didn't find him believable.
