THIS IS LONDON OCTOBER EDITION 2025 - Flipbook - Page 6
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Jon M. Chu with Carl Man (Fiyero),
Emma Kingston (Elphaba) and Lydia
Gerrard (Standby for Glinda).
Photo: Matt Crockett © WLPL
WICKED: FOR GOOD FILM
DIRECTOR JON M. CHU VISITS
WICKED STAGE MUSICAL
The worlds of stage and screen united
at the Apollo Victoria Theatre when
Jon M. Chu, the lauded director of
Universal Pictures’ global cinematic
sensation, Wicked, and this year’s epic
conclusion, Wicked: For Good, stepped
on stage to meet the London company
of the musical phenomenon in a unique
celebration of two mediums telling one
story.
The special meeting took place in the
West End, where the iconic stage
musical, which tells the incredible
untold story of the witches of Oz, has
recently celebrated its 19th anniversary
in its London home. Wicked has been
seen by more than 13 million people
and has played nearly 7,500
performances in the capital alone. ‘One
of the most successful musicals of all
time’ (BBC News), Wicked, winner of
over 100 global awards, opened in
London in 2006 and is already the 10th
longest-running West End production in
history.
Grammy and Oscar-winning
composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz
and Emmy and Tony-nominated book
writer Winnie Holzman have collaborated
on Universal Pictures’ two-film
adaptation of the musical, directed by
Jon M. Chu and produced by the show’s
creators: Tony and Emmy-winning
powerhouse Marc Platt and multiple
Tony Award-winner David Stone.
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Starring Academy Award-nominee
Cynthia Erivo and Academy Awardnominee Ariana Grande, the first film,
Wicked, opened in November 2024 and
became the highest-grossing Broadway
film adaptation in history, earning 10
Academy Award nominations, including
Best Picture. Wicked: For Good will be
released in the UK on 21 November.
Jon M. Chu joined the company on
stage ahead of a performance, and the
moment highlighted the powerful
connection between the original stage
musical and its film adaptations.
Jon M. Chu said of the visit: ‘When
we first started the movie, the first place
that I brought our heads of departments
to was in this theatre, so it’s great to be
back to meet the whole company. I’ve
never stepped onto the stage of a
Wicked stage production before... It’s
stunning, it feels like I’m in the movie,
and of course, you see the time dragon
clock! To be part of the Wicked family is
the dream of a lifetime. Now you get to
check out the movie, and check out the
show, what a dream.’
The celebrated stage musical
imagines a beguiling backstory and
future possibilities to the lives of
L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Wicked
reveals the decisions and events that
shape the destinies of two unlikely
university friends on their journey to
becoming ‘Glinda The Good’ and the
‘Wicked Witch of the West’.
Zizi Strallen as Glinda. Photo: Matt Crockett
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CHRISTMAS LIGHTS AT PAN PACIFIC
LONDON
This year, Pan Pacific London will
play host to the lights switch-on of
London's tallest Christmas tree, which
will take place in Bishopsgate Plaza
(2 mins from London Liverpool Street
Station) on Thursday 20 November, with
Dermot O'Leary, the television and radio
presenter, performing the switch-on.
The Eastern City Christmas Tree,
standing at 67 feet tall, will be lit up from
17.30 to 18.30.
RUGBY LEGENDS LUNCHES
IN THE CITY
Rugby fans are in for a treat this
autumn as two southern hemisphere
legends head to the City for a pair of
unforgettable lunches. The quick-witted
double act behind one of rugby’s most
popular podcasts will bring fans face-toface with two southern hemisphere
giants of the game – Wallabies legend
Michael Lynagh and All Blacks great
Justin Marshall. Each event blends a
curated dining experience with insider
rugby chat, perfectly paired Southern
Hemisphere wines and the kind of candid
storytelling you can only get from
legends of the sport.
This unique combination of sport and
gastronomy gives fans a chance to
savour both the flavour of the southern
hemisphere and the stories behind the
great rugby rivalries.
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