Wicked further cast changes from 29 Oct 2012

Further cast changes have been announced for Wicked, at the Apollo Victoria Theatre from 29 Oct 2012.

Ben Freeman (Fiyero), Louise Plowright (Madame Morrible), Sam Lupton (Boq), Hayley Gallivan (Standby Elphaba) and Lucy van Gasse (Standby Glinda) will all join the London cast from 29 Oct 2012, together with Katie Rowley Jones who will return to star as Nessarose, the role she originated in 2006. They will join the previously announced Louise Dearman, who will rejoin the cast to star as Elphaba.

Gina Beck (Glinda), Keith Bartlett (The Wizard) and Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond), will continue in their current roles.

Ben Freeman is best known as 'Scott Windsor' in Emmerdale, a character he played for almost 10 years from 1998. Prior to Emmerdale, he starred for 4 years as 'Chris Longworth' in Grange Hill. Louise Plowright created the role of 'Tanya' in the original London production of Mamma Mia!. Louise then went on to play the lead role of 'Donna' for 4 years. Sam Lupton has recently finished playing the lead roles of 'Princeton/Rod' in the UK tour of Avenue Q. Sam will make his West End debut in Wicked.

Wicked opened at the Apollo Victoria Theatre 27 Sep 2006, following previews from 7 Sep, and has since been seen by almost 4.5 million people.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman.

It is directed by Joe Mantello, scenic design by Eugene Lee, costumes by Susan Hilferty, lighting by Kenneth Posner, sound by Tony Meola, orchestrations by William David Brohn, musical staging by Wayne Cilento and is directed by Joe Mantello.

The cast currently includes Rachel Tucker (Elphaba) , Gina Beck (Glinda), Matt Willis (Fiyero), Keith Bartlett (The Wizard ),

Two girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, feisty and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very, very popular. WICKED is the story of these two unlikely friends and how they end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.