FIRST LOOK: LOUISE DEARMAN AS ‘ELPHABA’ IN LONDON’S RECORD-BREAKING HIT MUSICAL WICKED

WICKED, the record-breaking West End musical now in its 7th smash hit year at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, is pleased to release the first pictures of Louise Dearman as Elphaba, who will play her first performance tonight (29 October 2012).

Louise Dearman previously played Glinda to huge acclaim (from March 2010 to December 2011) and is the first actress to have starred in both leading roles in the nearly decade-long history of the global musical phenomenon.

From tonight (29 October 2012) Wicked stars: Louise Dearman (Elphaba), Gina Beck (Glinda), Ben Freeman (Fiyero), Louise Plowright (Madame Morrible), Keith Bartlett (The Wizard), Christopher Howell (Doctor Dillamond), Sam Lupton (Boq), Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose), Hayley Gallivan (Standby Elphaba), Lucy van Gasse (Standby Glinda), Florence Andrews, Gemma Atkins, William Bozier, Oliver Brenin, Lauren Brooke, Philip Catchpole, Aisling Duffy, Chlöe Hart, Jacqueline Hughes, Robert Jones, Sophie Linder Lee, Tania Mathurin, Marc McBride, Stacey McGuire, Tom Muggeridge, Sean Parkins, Michelle Pentecost, Stuart Ramsay, Lindsay Taylor, Paulo Teixeira, Justin Thomas, Hannah Toy, Matt Turner, Oliver Watton and Jason Winter.

Wicked is already the 16th longest-running West End musical of all time* and recently celebrated its landmark 2500th performance (8 September 2012) and 6th Birthday (27 September 2012). The Olivier and Evening Standard Award-winning London production has been seen by almost 5 million theatregoers since its West End premiere in 2006. *Information verified by the Society of London Theatre

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi GRAMMY and Academy® Award winner Stephen Schwartz, a book by Winnie Holzman and is directed by two-time Tony® Award winner and Olivier Award nominee Joe Mantello. Wicked is based on the best-selling novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, by Gregory Maguire.

Wicked is produced by: Marc Platt, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK): Michael McCabe.

Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG

The theatre is 1 minute from London Victoria Mainline and Underground Stations. Official UK website, video trailer and online booking: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Wicked spearheads and supports a range of good causes born out of the themes of the award-winning musical. Discover more at: www.WickedForGood.co.uk