The Wonderful
Theatre Peckham, London SE5

THEATRE Peckham is quickly becoming one of my favourite venues for new shows; a community-based theatre in the heart of south-east London, giving a space to the independent, political voices and productions demanding social change. A place which “champions underrepresented voices and leads the change that is influencing our sector,” so its website says.

And what better way to celebrate the holiday season with a much-needed update on the firm family favourite, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? This time around this reimagined adaptation of L Frank Baum’s classic tale starts off in modern-day Peckham, the Tinman is a Cyborg and Toto the dog is called TikTok. I imagine that scriptwriter Geoff Aymer and director Suzann McLean had  a lot of fun with this one.

Main character Efe (Ashleigh-Mae Schoburgh-Crooks) and her little dog TikTok are swept up in a storm and transported to a place beyond south-east London — Ozanda, a land in Africa far into the future. As Efe travels through Ozanda on her journey to find the Wonderful (Ray Emmet Brown), she picks up Manny the mannequin (Billy Lynch), Cyri the cyborg (Amy Bianchi) and Mane Man (Khariis Ubiaro). The characters are funny and ostentatious, with some good performances all round, particularly Schoburgh-Crooks who also does a lot of the singing.

Through Emma Wee’s bright, bold but simple set, with big and colourful blocks, the stage easily transforms from a Peckham cafe into a futuristic and vibrant Ozanda.

Bar the odd technical hiccup (rather expected as I did see it on the opening night), and the fact that it is a musical (although the songs were thankfully quite short and reasonably catchy) all in all, this was an entertaining, imaginative and well-cast play, sending out a powerful message about bravery, hope and self respect.

Runs until December 22. Suitable for all ages.

Tickets: theatrepeckham.co.uk