Magical musical Wicked is the story of two unlikely friends and how they end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good, characters from L Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.

Two girls meet as sorcery students at Shiz University in the land of Oz. Elphaba, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, feisty and misunderstood. Glinda is beautiful, ambitious and very, very popular. Initially suspicious of each other they become friends, but when they go to see the wizard, it isn’t as wonderful as they had imagined.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz featuring tunes that have become firm favourites with the show's many fans, including Popular, Defying Gravity and For Good.

Originally a hit in America, Wicked won 15 major awards during its record-breaking Broadway run, including a Grammy and three Tonys. It opened in London at the Apollo Victoria theatre in 2006 and has already been seen by over 1.6 million theatregoers.

Wicked’s original London cast included Idina Menzel, who had previously played the cabbage-coloured Elphaba on Broadway, alongside Helen Dallimore, Adam Garcia, Miriam Margolyes and Nigel Planer.

Current Wizard Desmond Barrit is a Laurence Olivier Award winner who has worked extensively with the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and across the West End.

Harriet Thorpe, who plays Madame Morrible, is easily recognisable from her television appearances in comedies Absolutely Fabulous and The Brittas Empire. She is also a seasoned musical performer who has Sweeney Todd and Cabaret among her recent credits.

Dubbed “the West End’s most successful musical” by The Independent On Sunday, Wicked celebrated two enchanting years in London on 27 September 2008.

For more about Wicked at the Apollo Victoria theatre read the First Night Feature.