The Stage

Wicked extends West End run

Published Friday 29 August 2008 at 12:30 by Lalayn Baluch

West End musical Wicked has defied the UK’s economic downturn by extending its booking period until September 26, 2009.

The Wizard of Oz spin-off show, which is playing at Apollo Victoria Theatre, is one of the capital’s most successful musicals. Since its London premiere in 2006, it has taken £55 million to date, with almost £20 million taken this year so far.

Wicked executive producer Michael McCabe said: “As we enter our third year in the West End, the success of Wicked continues to grow. We have enjoyed an incredibly successful 2008 and business is up week-on-week from 2007, which is an extraordinary achievement.

“We are now delighted to be adding our sixth booking period and putting almost half a million new tickets on sale. We have been averaging over £600,000 gross a week all summer, and we are delighted that there is absolutely no sign of Wicked being affected by the credit crunch. In fact, theatregoers appear to be actively seeking out the show in this current climate in order to enjoy a night of pure escapism and value-for-money entertainment.”

Last week, creators of West End musical Marguerite announced that they had decided to close the show nearly two months earlier than scheduled. They blamed the UK’s current “economic climate”.