The Story | Wicked

When Dorothy famously triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West, we only ever heard one side of the story. Gregory Maguire’s acclaimed 1995 novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, re-imagines the Land of Oz, creating a parallel universe to the familiar story written by L. Frank Baum and first published as ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ in 1900.

Elphaba and Glinda interacting in a classroom setting

WICKED tells the
incredible story of an
unlikely but
profound friendship
between two young women:

the blonde
and very popular
Glinda…

A picture of Zizi Strallen as Glinda from the musical Wicked

AN image of Emma Kingston as Elphaba in the musical Wicked holding a suitcase and surrounded by members of the company

…and a misunderstood
green girl named
Elphaba.

Following an encounter with
The Wonderful Wizard,
their friendship reaches a crossroads AND THEIR LIVES TAKE VERY DIFFERENT PATHS…

WickedLondon_OzHead_40403_Photo Matt Crockett_RT (2)

A picture of Zizi Strallen as Glinda in the musical Wicked

Glinda’s unflinching desire for popularity sees her seduced by power…

…while Elphaba’s determination to remain true to herself, and to those around her, WILL HAVE UNEXPECTED AND SHOCKING consequences on her future.

Glinda with wand and Elphaba with broom facing one another, ready to fight. A field of sunflowers in the background and a fallen wooden house.

Glinda and Elphaba holding hands looking at one another. Glinda wears a pale blue full skirted ballgown and tiara, Elphaba wears a black ruffled dress, black cape and black witches hat, she has green skin.

Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as
Glinda The Good,
and the
Wicked Witch of the West.

A MAJOR HIT WITH
AUDIENCES AND
CRITICS ALIKE, WICKED IS
AN AMAZING
SUCCESS.

BBC London

A full stage shot of Elphaba defying gravity with the guards and Glinda watching below.

More About Wicked

Currently the 9th longest-running West End show in history, Wicked has been spellbinding London since 2006.

Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked has been seen by over 72 million people worldwide and has been performed in over 130 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese.

The musical sensation Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “Wicked.”

With a thrilling score that includes the hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “For Good,” Wicked has been hailed by The New York Times as “the defining musical of the decade,” and by Time Magazine as “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage.”

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

The blockbuster film version of Wicked opened on November 22nd, 2024, and has become the highest grossing film based on a Broadway musical in history. Wicked: For Good opened in cinemas in November 2025 to conclude the epic 2-part cinematic event.