Budding stars audition for Wizard of Oz inspired production coming to Waterside Theatre

Hundreds of youngsters in Aylesbury and its surrounding areas audition for an upcoming production set to hit Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.

A Wizard of Oz inspired project is in need of talented future stars aged between 6-18.

Called, The Wiz, it is a musical take on the classic 1900s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On Sunday 27 August guests will walk down the yellow brick road, as they enjoy a colourful reworking of the beloved, timeless story.

Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity oversaw a series of auditions at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre last month. They were held in the Norman Bragg Studio on 23 and 24 March. Children of all abilities and experiences were encouraged to attend.

Bucks Music Trust was also involved in the dance and drama auditions which raised funds for the well-known end-of-life charity. All money contributed by the families of auditioning children will go to the Aylesbury-based not-for-profit organisation.

Across three days youngsters had a go at auditioning for everything from the principal role of Dorothy to more peripheral parts, like being a munchkin or witch.

Amy Quinlan, senior fundraiser for special events and projects for Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity, said: “I am privileged to be a part of this amazing, community project. We have had a fantastic response to our auditions, and we were thrilled to welcome such talented and energetic young people.

"We look forward to working with them in rehearsals in August to prepare for the big performances! We hope that these performances will be as popular as our first show, Nativity! The Musical which took to the stage last year and raised £55,000 for the charity.”

Florence Nightingale Hospice still wants to hear from people interested in joining the production. Volunteers are needed to help out backstage, working on makeup, set design, lighting and sound, with a team of experienced theatre professionals.

Interested parties can contact the charity via email here. Tickets for The Wiz go on sale in May.

The Wiz was turned into a feature length film in 1987 starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Richard Pryor.