MP Jeremy Corbyn set to appear in Wicked-inspired drag pantomime
Jeremy Corbyn is set to appear in a Wicked-inspired panto. (Getty/Universal Pictures/Canva)
Jeremy Corbyn is set to appear in a Wicked-inspired panto. (Getty/Universal Pictures/Canva)
British member of parliament and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is set to appear in a “gloriously camp” Wicked and The Wizard of Oz-inspired pantomime.
The 76-year-old politician and current co-founder and leader of new left-wing party Your Party will star as the ‘Wizard of Oz-lington’ in the panto at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, north London.
He will star in Wicked Witches: A Popular Panto alongside a group of queer actors, including Gigi Zahir, best known as London-based drag artist Crayola. They will play Adelphaba, a version of famed wicked witch Elphaba.
Actress Eleanor Burker, also known as her drag alter-ego Apple Derrieres, will star as Kelly Oz-Born, the show’s take on adored good witch Glinda. Lew Ray and Ro Suppa will star as Tin 2.0 and Dor, characters inspired by the Tin Man and Dorothy.
In a statement shared with the BBC, Corbyn said he was pleased to support local, inclusive theatre.
“The Pleasance (Theatre) has been at the heart of our community for 30 years, and local theatre like this deserves our support,” he said.
“Panto brings people together – it’s fun, inclusive and a brilliant celebration of creativity.
“It’s a pleasure to conjure up a little festive magic with the Pleasance in their 30th year. Local theatre is where the real wizardry happens – sparking imagination and spreading a bit of joy.”
Ellie Simpson, who is head of the Pleasance London theatre, said that Corbyn’s involvement adds “a touch of local sparkle” to the “wickedly funny festive panto”.
“Jeremy’s as much a part of Islington as the Yellow Brick Road is of Oz – so who better to play the Wizard of Oz-lington?” Simpson added.
In a post on the Pleasance Theatre’s Instagram account, organisers wrote: “It won’t be the first time Corbyn has faced boos and cheers in equal measure – but this time, it’s all part of the panto fun.”
Wicked Witches: A Popular Panto is described as “an unforgettable panto mash-up of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz” that sees Dor caught in a snowstorm that takes them back to the “Borough of Oz-lington”.
In Oz-lington, ”Christmas is on thin ice” and Dor must team up with the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin 2.0 for “a feel-good adventure full of courage, individuality and acceptance”.
The panto is also described as “festive filth” with “pop song parodies”. It is written and directed by non-binary writer Shane ShayShay Konno.
An all-ages version of the panto will play between 21 November and 28 December, with an adults-only version on stage between 18 November and 22 December. Tickets are currently on sale.
Jeremy Corbyn is known for his staunch LGBTQ+ allyship, first campaigning for gay liberation in 1983, the year he became a Labour MP for Islington North. He is currently an Independent MP for the constituency.
In April, following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that the definition of “woman” and “sex” for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act excluded trans women, Corbyn published a statement expressing his sadness.
“I am really saddened by the level of vitriol and hatred being directed toward the trans community. We are losing our common humanity. How hard is it to treat people with kindness and respect?” he wrote.
“Trans people are human beings — and they deserve to live in dignity like anyone else.”
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