The Wizard of Oz

This company prides itself on uncompromising professional training. So, one gets the impression the Moreton Bay area in Queensland breeds disproportionate numbers of musical theatre stars.

This show, with its 90-strong cast (70 below 16 years of age) cements the RMT reputation. The experience provided here is invaluable experience of a fully professional nature for these youngsters (all of whom, I should add, acquit themselves admirably).

Principals, Taylor Yost (Dorothy), Trent Sellars (Scarecrow), EricsonIlustre (Tinman), Dale Shearman (Lion), Madelaine Johns (Wicked Witch), and Guard (David O’Keefe) – all with competent understudies – provide examples for the younger cast to emulate.

Act 1 rollicks along at a good pace. Act 2 groans to a halt - as in the movie, no fault of this company; professional touring companies had the same problem. The film runs two hours; at two hours forty minutes (excluding interval) this show tests the audience’s fortitude.

Choreographers Courtney Underhill and Hannah Crowther carefully trained the huge number of young performers; Lucas. D. Lynch’s fifteen-strong pit orchestra supported the score admirably; and the costumes dazzled us (credits to Head of Wardrobe, Barbara Bloodworth and her team).

It is undoubtedly RMT production’s most spectacular so far (Bruce Noy take a bow). Their pyrotechnics and other technical effects were amazing, but could not disguise the Act 2 problems. Nevertheless, it is a production for which RMT will be remembered in future. 

Jay McKee

Images by Ben McShea, Beak Photography.