The Wizard of Oz
★★★☆☆ Colourful Fun
theSpace @ Niddry Street (Venue 9): Fri 3 – Sat 11 Aug 2018
Review by Sarah Moyes
Edinburgh’s Tribe Porty Youth Theatre takes us down the yellow brick road in this fun and entertaining take on the classic The Wizard of Oz.
Tribe Porty Youth Theatre have been performing at the Fringe for eight years, giving young people between the ages of five and 18 the chance to perform at the festival. It’s clear from this current show that some of the cast have a bright future ahead of them should they decide to keep going down the theatre route.
Lily Meyers, Robin Hill and Hugh Harris. Pic: Tribe Porty Youth Theatre
The classic story, which was first performed in 1902 and is based on L. Frank Baum‘s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, has been brought into the modern age by director Larah Bross. Despite the fact there’s jokes about WiFi and Dorothy opting for dungarees instead of a dress, the story is very much the same.
When a cyclone hits Kansas, Dorothy and her dog Toto are blown away to the magical land of Oz where they befriend a Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion on their journey along the yellow brick road to meet the Wizard of Oz.
Robin Hill who plays Dorothy gives an energetic and strong performance that oozes confidence as she leads the cast through the show. She’s joined on her quest through Oz by Lily Meyers as Scarecrow, Hugh Harris as the Tin Man and Darcy Robertson as the Lion, each of them giving entertaining and comic performances with jokes that both adult and children can laugh at.
real energy
We’re first introduced to the ensemble who play the munchkins when Dorothy first lands in Oz. Dressed in very bright and colourful clothing, they help inject some real energy into show as they sing and dance around the stage to Ding Dong, The Witch is Dead.
Robin Hill as Dorothy with members of the cast. Pic: Tribe Porty Youth Theatre
The show is filled with all the well-known songs you would expect to hear including a We’re Off To See The Wizard and a solo performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Dorothy.
The songs could be a little more polished in parts, but whether you’re a fan of the story or not, you’ll know all the words. There’s also the welcome addition on stage of James Gilhooly on piano rather than the show using pre-recorded music.
As the group journey through Oz, they come face to face with an array of different characters. Lily Middleton is sweet and kind as the good witch Glinda whereas Amy Fyvie portrays the evil Wicked Witch. It’s then they meet the Wizard of Oz, played by Oscar Bickmore, who grants them their greatest wishes in return for defeating the Wicked Witch.
The staging for the show is simple and set against a black backdrop, but it is really all that is needed here. The yellow brick road is rolled out and the house that lands on the Wicked Witch appears after the cyclone.
The Wizard of Oz is one of the shows that has been done over and over; however, Tribe Porty Youth Theatre’s adaption of this classic show is one that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Running Time: One hour
theSpace @ Niddry Street (Venue 9), Niddry Street, EH1 1TH
Friday 3 – Saturday 11 August 2018
Daily: 10:05
Tickets and details: https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/wizard-of-oz
Twitter: @TribePYT
Facebook: @tribepyt
Age recommendation: 3+
ENDS
