WICKED MAKES WEST END HISTORY AT THE APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE

WICKED, the West End stage musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, has become the ninth longest-running production in West End history, following the completion of Saturday’s matinee performance.

With this milestone, Wicked also surpassed the original London run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express, which previously held the title of longest-running production at Wicked’s West End home, the Apollo Victoria Theatre, where it played a total of 7,406 performances between March 1984 and January 2002.

The achievement was marked with a commemorative plaque, presented to ATG Entertainment representatives Ross Verity-Williams (General Manager), Kamaal Hussain (Deputy General Manager), and Wicked Ozians Abbie Quinnen and Iroy Abesamis.

Copies of the plaque will be displayed backstage and in both of the front-of-house Ambassador Lounges.

Wicked’s Producer David Stone said of the landmark moment, “We are thrilled that Wicked has become the ninth longest-running production in West End history and the longest-running production in the history of the Apollo Victoria Theatre, surpassing Starlight Express. This milestone is a testament to the extraordinary talent and dedication of the many performers, musicians, backstage teams and theatre staff who have sustained the production with such care and commitment. We offer our heartfelt thanks to the millions of audience members whose continued enthusiasm and support have made this remarkable achievement possible.”

ATG Entertainment’s Chief Content Officer, Michael Lynas, continued: “As the owners of the Apollo Victoria Theatre, we are immensely proud that Wicked has become the venue’s longest-running show.  This remarkable musical is a jewel in the crown of the West End and shines as brightly as when it opened more than 19 years ago.  We are delighted to host a show which has been entertaining London audiences since 2006, and we pay tribute to the producers, the creative team, the performers and musicians, and everyone working backstage and front of house at the Apollo Victoria.”

Claire Walker, Co-CEO of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, said of the industry milestone: 

“We are thrillified to celebrate Wicked reaching this incredible milestone at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and in West End history. For nearly 20 years, Wicked has been a defining part of London’s theatrical landscape, and we can’t wait for many more spellbinding performances to come." 

The ten longest-running West End stage productions in British history are: The Mousetrap, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Woman in Black, Mamma Mia!, Blood Brothers, The Lion King, Cats, Wicked and Starlight Express.

The London company currently stars Emma Kingston (Elphaba), Zizi Strallen (Glinda), Carl Man (Fiyero), Sarah Ingram (Madame Morrible), Michael Matus (The Wizard), Ross Carpenter (Boq), David McKechnie (Doctor Dillamond), Hannah Qureshi (Nessarose), and Laura Emmitt (Alternate Elphaba), Lydia Gerrard (Standby for Glinda), Iroy Abesamis, Zac Adlam, Steph Asamoah, Meg Astin, Rebecca Bowden, Shaun Chambers, Erin Gisele Chapman, Grace Durkin, Onyemachi Ejimofor, Aaron Elijah, Emily Goodenough, Aimee Hodnett, Nat Ingham, Holly Lawrence, Jemima Loddy, Josh Lovell, Rory Maguire, PaddyJoe Martin, JoJo Meredith, Ayden Morgan, Rina Punwani, Abbie Quinnen, Jemma Revell, Jeanie Ryan, Charlotte Anne Steen, Chris Tarsey, Hannah Taylor, James Titchener and Jacob Young. Please click HERE for company biogs. 

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s celebrated stage musical is based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire and 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’.

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi-Oscar® and Grammy® Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted). It is based on the multimillion-copy best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and written by Emmy® and Tony Award® nominee Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series ‘My So-Called Life’). Musical staging is by Tony Award® winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award® winner Joe Mantello.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman have collaborated on the two-part Universal Pictures film version of Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu and produced by Marc Platt and David Stone. Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, Part 1 of the blockbuster opened in November 2024 and has become the highest-grossing film, based on a stage musical, in history. Wicked: For Good will be released in the UK on November 21, 2025.

Performances continue Tuesday - Saturday at 7.30 pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2.30pm. The following nineteen added shows are also on sale: Friday 19 December 2:30pm, Monday 22 December 7:30pm, Tuesday 23 December 2:30pm, Monday 29 December 2:30pm & 7:30 pm, Tuesday 30 December 2.30pm 2025 and Friday 2 January 2:30pm, Thursday 19 February 2:30pm, Thursday 2 April 2:30pm, Thursday 6 August 2:30pm, Thursday 20 August 2:30pm, Thursday 29 October 2:30pm, Friday 18 December 2:30pm, Monday 21 December 7:30pm, Tuesday 22 December 2:30pm, Sunday 27 December 7:30pm, Monday 28 December 7:30pm and Tuesday 29 December 2:30pm 2026.

The stage musical Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone.