REVIEW // WICKED at Dubai Opera

I don’t know about you, but there’s something about live theatre these days that stirs up a lot of emotion in me – and more often than not, it all ends in tears. Happy ones, sad ones - let's just say it gives me 'all the feels'.

This is thanks, in part, to Dubai Opera. Most of my theatre trips over the past few years have been to this particular venue and there's something about it – the grandeur, the elegance, its role as a pocket of arts and culture in the heart of a very busy city – it all makes me...happy.

So when the invitation came in for the opening night of Wicked, I was there faster than you could say 'G-linda'.

Like many of us, I'd already fallen hard and fast for the film. The songs, the characters, the iconic moments that have seeped into pop culture over the past few years - I'm fully invested.

But that familiarity made me curious: how would Wicked on stage land, at a time when it is so recognisable – and in a world where, dare I say, Glinda is always going to be Ariana and Elphaba just is Cynthia Erivo.

But, having captivated more than 65 million theatregoers across over 130 cities in 16 countries, Wicked is clearly doing something right – and the Dubai Opera production reminds you exactly why.

Set long before Dorothy’s iconic arrival in Oz, the story follows two remarkable young women whose unlikely friendship shapes everything that follows. Glinda is beautiful, ambitious and adored, while Elphaba is brilliant, principled and misunderstood, marked from birth by her emerald-green skin. What begins as tentative companionship becomes a rivalry, and ultimately a reckoning, that defines their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

At the heart of this production is Rebekah Lowings, who delivers a truly outstanding Elphaba. From the character’s awkward beginnings to her soaring self-realisation, Lowings handles the emotional and vocal demands of the role with ease and vulnerability. Her Act One finale, "Defying Gravity", is the kind of theatrical moment that reminds you why live performance still holds such power. I won’t spoil anything – but between the tears, the surprise, and the sheer exhilaration of it all, it quite simply knocked my socks off.

Opposite her, Eve Shanu-Wilson brings warmth, wit and an idiosyncratic charm to Glinda and her rendition of "Popular" is as funny and perfectly timed as you’d hope. Then there’s Fiyero, played by Michael Mather, who takes the character beautifully through his story from carefree boy-about-town to a man of strengh, bravery and emotional depth. As my friend whispered to me the moment he started singing "Dancing Through Life" – "Oh, he’s got a lovely voice." She wasn’t wrong.

What I loved most about this production, beyond the stunning performances, was the way songs that have been played on repeat and are in the thick of popular culture right now through memes and media, still manage to stop time when experienced live, supported by a powerful orchestra and the superb acoustics of Dubai Opera.

In today's world, the core message of Wicked – about the cost of being different and the courage it takes to be seen – rings so true. For children in the audience (this is a show better suited to the older ones, by the way) and in fact, for all of us, this is a priceless reminder of the power of true friendship. With the support and encouragement of others – we can do amazing things.

I left the theatre with mascara down my face but feeling uplifted and reminded why I love live theatre so much. Wicked may be a global phenomenon, but on this opening night in Dubai, it felt like the performance was only for us.

Wicked runs at Dubai Opera from 28 January to 15 February.

Will I be going to see it a second time? Try and stop me.

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