The Wizard of Oz Rehearsals | Week Three

With just over a week to go until audiences see The Wizard of Oz on stage, find out what’s happening in rehearsals with the latest diary from DMU Journalism student Courtney Stevens.

It’s just over one week until opening night and I can’t believe how quickly it’s come around.

It feels like only yesterday that the cast started rehearsals and it’s amazing to see how rapidly things have pieced together.

Sitting in the room every week has been so eye opening. The cast and crew have really shown what dedication and hard work looks like and this is a show you do not want to miss.

At this point in rehearsals every small detail is analysed down to perfection. Nothing goes unnoticed by the director, Nikolai Foster, and every scene is run through until everything is how he wants it to look. From the delivery of a line to moving the position of a character just half a step, everything is examined in such detail that it’s easy to see he really cares about the show.

Every direction given is taken on board instantly by the cast and the concentration of everyone keeps growing day after day as the show gets closer.

What I’ve noticed throughout rehearsals is how collaborative the process has been and continues to be. If someone forgets a line or misses a step there is always another cast member to help out. If someone feels like part of a scene needs changing, they aren’t afraid to speak up and Nikolai takes the time to listen to everyone’s ideas.

Whilst things in the rehearsal room start to pick up pace each week, the people behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz are also working extremely hard to make sure all the props, costumes and staging are complete for the show.

“It’s nice to see the designs and see the fabric turn into something,” says Rachel, the assistant head of wardrobe, “There are a lot of fantasy elements to this show which is new and something we haven’t done for a while.”

Even though the pressure is on to get the show ready, it’s nice to see that everyone still looks like they are having so much fun during rehearsals.

All the hours spent learning lines, song lyrics, and choreography will soon pay off and I’m excited to see the show really come to life on the big stage.

Running 19 November to 8 January, click here to find out more and book tickets to The Wizard of Oz.

Lead image: The cast of The Wizard of Oz – Photography by Marc Brenner