There’s no place like Peckham…
This December, Theatre Peckham’s Christmas show will be The Wonderful, a Wizard of Oz meets Black Panther inspired reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale. Artistic Director Suzann McLean, in collaboration with actor and writer Geoff Aymer, will stage this truly representative adaptation celebrating the vibrant community in which Theatre Peckham serves. The music and dance in the show bring a fusion of Afro beats and Hip Hop into the world of musical theatre.
The story begins in Nanna Emi’s takeaway shop in Peckham. A spectacular storm sweeps Efe and her dog TikTok from SE15 to Ozanda, a mystical African land where tribal tradition rubs shoulders with high tech gadgetry. There Efe embarks on a fantastical quest of self-discovery to find her way home. But not without the help of her new friends, Manne-Quin, Cyri and the Mane Man who show her there really is something magic in all of us.
The cast of professional actors, led by renowned Ray Emmet Brown in the title role, will also be joined by a host of young actors from Theatre Peckham’s Academy.
Writer Geoff Aymer comments: “I hope this very special adaptation makes this classic tale so much more accessible to today’s generation. We go from Peckham to a Wakanda-ish version of Oz. The message is simple: we all have hidden talents which make us a bit special. We just need to have self-belief and tap into them.”
