Five questions with Emma Kingston of 'Wicked'

Wicked's newest Elphaba talks to London Theatre Magazine about the secret to the show's success and her dream theatre roles.

Emma Kingston has racked up theatre credits in Heathers, The Band’s Visit, Zorro the Musical, and Evita – as well as the original London production of In the Heights. She’s now flying high as Elphaba in Wicked.

Were you a big fan of Wicked before being cast?
A huge fan! I saw the show when it opened in London, with Idina Menzel and Helen Dallimore, and I remember my singing teacher buying me the vocal selections when it came out on Broadway. We’d already gone through half the material before it had even come to London.

What do you think is the secret of the show’s success?
The way I relate to Elphaba is in that idea of her being “othered”, and I think a lot of other people can relate to that experience too – whether it’s because they’ve been bullied at school or feel “othered” because of their race or gender identity. And then there’s the unexpected friendships in the show. Ultimately, the biggest love story is the two central female characters finding their friendship.

You played Vanessa in the original London production of In the Heights – what is your standout memory of that show?
I remember the first studio run we did at St Barnabas Church in Mile End and we really had no idea what the response was going to be to our show in London. It had been a huge success in America, but we don’t really have the kind of thriving Latin community that New York has – and we did this show pre-Hamilton, so no one really knew who Lin-Manuel Miranda was. I remember after that first studio run, the producers were in tears and I think we all knew we had something special.

Given your Argentinean heritage, how special was it for you to play Eva Perón in the international tour of Evita? That was also very special. I grew up learning about the musical, but also my grandpa lived through that entire story, so having first-hand experience of someone who was in Buenos Aires at that time was an amazing source of research. My grandpa said he remembers on Christmas Day in Argentina, you would go to the post office to get a free ice cream and a lottery ticket from Eva Perón! It’s that kind of tidbit you wouldn’t necessarily find in a history book.

What’s top of your “dream roles still to play” list?
I would love love love the chance to play Lucille in Parade and Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. Otherwise, I’d love to work with new writing and be the first to do something, because I want that kind of legacy for myself.

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This article first appeared in the May 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Emma Kingston. (Photo by Mark Senior)