Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em who was the farmer's wife. Dorothy had a little black dog with long silk hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose.

A cyclone was coming, but before Dorothy and Toto could run into the cellar - a strange thing happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air - higher and higher utnil it landed with a shock. The jar made Dorothy catch her breath and wonder what had happened. The house was not moving. Dorothy sprang up and with Toto at her heels she ran and opened the door. 

This is more or less how Frank Baum's book of The Wizard of Oz begins. And then there was the famous film version with the first burst of technicolour for the wonderful world of Oz, with Judy Garland and the added songs - Somewhere over the Rainbow; Follow the Yellow Brick Road; We're off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

So, of course, I went off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz in the Street Theatre via Ickle Pickle Productions under the direction of Nina Stevenson and Chrstine Munroe to manipulate the music and a lively band of players to accompany all the wonderful songs of the film inherited by the musical versions which I have seen on various stages in Canberra.

Ickle Pickle chose to stay close to the film version with Josie Dunham's Dorothy in the identical garb of Judy Garland - and all the others were more or less attired as they are in the film - there were all the different shades of green costumes in the Emerald City and delightfully minute Munchkins in assorted array. But there were some differences - I was especially delighted by three very stylish lady crows taunting the Scarecrow. 

The entire Ickle Pickle production of The Wizard Of Oz was a wonderful piece of wizardry with excellent performances from Alex Jordan thinking thinks as the Scarecrow, Darren Cullerne as the rusty heartless Tinman and David Smith as the Lion without 'de noive'. And I was deliciously terrified by Alyssa Morse as the dog snatching Ms Gultch and the Wicked Witch of the West.

And I was fascinated by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the set and technical devices to achieve something akin to the effects which are possible on film, but well nigh impossible on a stage.

In the Emerald City I was most impressed by the emerald guardianship of Hugh Stevenson and the humbuggery or Craig Marvel as the Wizard of Oz and Professor Marvell in Kansas. I wondered if he had been chosen because of the marvellous coincidence of his name.

The entire audience was in raptures to discover that Toto was played by a real dog with the grandiloquent name of Joymont Tiger Lily. She had perfect manners on stage and played her part with serious composure amid witches, munchkins, threats from evil women, and daunting journeys between Kansas and Oz and back again.

But what of Dorothy? Josie Dunham was a totally captivating Dorothy who treasured her little dog, bravely faced all the dangers, lovingly cared for her three friends, and learned her lesson perfectly: "There's no place like home." Only one sadness for me - she has most unfortunately developed that modern twang which seems to have become a compulsory fad with some young pop singers - Why Of Why must they do it? Especially to such an enchanting song as Somwhere Over The Rainbow. But keep your eye on Ickle Pickle Productions because they are doing things rather well."

And I am Wendy Brazil, an enchanted Ickle Pickle fan, and I will be back with more on theatre another time.

Review by Wendy Brazil

ArtSound FM 92.7, April 28, 2006.