Review: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Northern Stage, Newcastle

First published in The Times, Tuesday December 8 2015

Four Stars

 

It is one of the most influential children’s stories of all time. Yet, when most people hear the title the image that leaps to mind is that of Judy Garland skipping down the yellow brick road in glorious Technicolor with her three dysfunctional companions in tow. It comes as something of a shock to be reminded that the ruby slippers, the Wicked Witch’s greenish complexion and even the phrase “There’s no place like home” were all inventions of the 1939 musical film version and nothing to do with L Frank Baum’s original 1900 novel.