Review: The Wizard of Oz - St. Mel's MS

Society Name: St. Mel’s Musical Society

Show Name: The Wizard of Oz

Adjudicator Date of Attendance: 07/05/2026

St. Mel's Musical Society’s production of The Wizard of Oz was a warm, colourful, and heartfelt staging of this much-loved classic. The society approached the piece with clear affection, and there was a strong sense of community, enthusiasm, and enjoyment throughout the evening. While some areas would have benefitted from greater polish and sharper attention to detail, the production succeeded in capturing much of the charm, optimism, and magic associated with the story.

Sean Power’s direction showed a clear understanding of the heart of the piece. The production moved at a good pace overall, and the story remained clear and engaging throughout. One of the strongest aspects of the direction was the relationship between Dorothy and her three companions. Their friendship developed naturally, giving the production a warm emotional centre. Comedy was also handled well, with several moments landing effectively without feeling forced. Some smaller character details and transitions could have been more carefully refined, but the sincerity of the storytelling was always evident.

Musically, Fintan Farrelly delivered a very strong interpretation of the score. The orchestra produced a beautiful, rich sound and captured the sweeping melodies and familiar warmth of the piece. Tempos were well chosen, and the music supported scene changes effectively, ensuring the audience was not left in silence. The chorus work was particularly impressive, with a strong, full sound and some lovely harmony moments. The finale was a real musical highlight. At times, some soloists were slightly overwhelmed in the larger orchestral moments, but overall, the musical standard was one of the production’s great strengths.

Triona Mulryan’s choreography was lively, accessible, and very well suited to the company. The Munchkinland sequence was a particular highlight—full of energy, colour, interesting shapes, and strong sequencing. “Merry Ole Land of Oz” was another very successful number, with movement choices that complemented the abilities of the cast while still creating a polished visual effect. The ensemble had clearly worked hard on timing and synchronicity, and the choreography felt clean, well-rehearsed, and full of character.

Andrea Crowe gave a beautifully natural performance as Dorothy. Her portrayal was honest, understated, and emotionally grounded, capturing the spirit of the young farm girl without slipping into caricature. Vocally, she sang with warmth and feeling, bringing great sincerity to the role. Her connection with the Scarecrow, Tinman, and Lion was especially lovely, and she anchored the production with a captivating and heartfelt performance.

Oisin O’Reilly was warm and likeable as Hunk and brought good humour to the Scarecrow. He found some lovely comic moments, and his physicality worked well in places, particularly in more structured sections. There were times when the looseness of the Scarecrow’s body could have been carried through more consistently, especially during transitions or off-script moments. With a little more confidence in pushing the comedy and sustaining the physical detail, this performance could grow even further.

Jake Reilly created a sincere and heartfelt Tinman. His Hickory felt comfortable and grounded, and as the Tinman he brought warmth, gentleness, and a well-observed physical stiffness to the role. “If I Only Had a Heart” was well sung and delivered with clear emotional connection. His interactions with the rest of the quartet felt genuine, and he contributed greatly to the warmth of the central group.

Aonghus O’Muiri brought excellent energy and humour to the Cowardly Lion. His entrance was particularly enjoyable, immediately establishing the character with strong comic flair. His facial expressions were a major strength, and he sustained the Lion’s personality well through both dialogue and song. He was vocally confident and added a great deal of fun and warmth to the production.

Janette Devlin gave one of the standout performances of the evening as Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West. Her Miss Gulch was suitably stern and unpleasant, while her Wicked Witch was commanding, entertaining, and very well judged. Her vocal delivery was strong and clear, and she avoided pushing the character into harsh caricature. Instead, she found nuance, menace, and humour in equal measure.

Grainne Fox brought calm elegance to Glinda, creating a serene and reassuring presence whenever she appeared. Her lovely soprano voice suited the role beautifully, and she handled the material with ease.

Sabina Ryan gave Aunt Em warmth and care, with a believable relationship with Dorothy and a natural dynamic with Uncle Henry, though she seemed slightly uncertain at times.

Anthony Heavey provided strong support as both Uncle Henry and the Emerald City Guard, bringing warmth to the former and enjoyable comedy to the latter.

John Kelly was suitably blustery as the Wizard, with a consistent accent throughout. As Professor Marvel, a little more suave, salesman-like charm would have helped define the character more fully.

The ensemble made a very strong contribution to the evening. The Munchkins were especially vibrant, engaged, and full of character, creating one of the most enjoyable sections of the show. Across the production, the chorus remained invested in the storytelling and brought excellent energy to the stage. Vocally, they produced a strong collective sound, with several impressive moments of harmony. Although there was a mixed range of movement ability, the commitment and enthusiasm from the full company created a cohesive and enjoyable ensemble presence.

The set contained several attractive elements. The Kansas house was nicely detailed, and the Emerald City pieces helped create a clear visual contrast between the different worlds. The lift used for Glinda and the Wicked Witch was an excellent idea and added theatricality to their entrances. Some elements needed further refinement: the crashed house pieces felt less developed, and the disappearing Wicked Witch legs were not fully concealed, with the tights visibly being pulled offstage. The projections were generally effective, but the Wizard imagery changed quite abruptly between speaking and non-speaking versions, with a noticeable size difference that became distracting.

Eddie Kiernan managed the production efficiently overall, with generally swift scene changes, though the lift timing would benefit from further precision.

The lighting was straightforward but effective, offering good coverage and supporting the storytelling well. While there were no major standout lighting moments, it served the production reliably. There were opportunities to heighten the magic of Oz further through more dynamic visual choices, particularly in the bigger musical and fantasy sequences.

Sound was generally good, with a decent balance between voices and orchestra. A number of microphone entrances were clipped, and some larger orchestral moments swallowed the soloists slightly. Greater fine-tuning in these areas would help improve clarity and overall polish.

Visually, the costumes were excellent and were among the strongest features of the production. The Munchkin costumes were a real highlight, with a cohesive blue and yellow palette that created a vibrant and unified look while still allowing individuality. The Emerald City citizens were also very well dressed, and there was clear attention to fit, detail, and character throughout. Hair was suitably styled to match the different worlds and costumes, and the makeup was strong, particularly for the principals. The quick changes back to the farm characters were handled impressively, though traces of the Oz makeup remained visible in places.

Front of House contributed greatly to the welcoming atmosphere of the evening. Patrons were greeted warmly and efficiently, and the audience appeared well looked after throughout. The foyer and bar area were beautifully decorated, with evident care and attention to detail, helping to create a sense of occasion before the performance began. This added significantly to the audience experience and reflected very positively on the society.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, sincere, and visually engaging production from St. Mel’s Musical Society. Its greatest strengths lay in its musical preparation, vibrant ensemble, strong central relationships, and excellent costume design. With further attention to technical detail, consistency of character work, and refinement of visual effects, future productions could reach an even higher standard. This Wizard of Oz had plenty of heart, and that heart carried the audience warmly all the way home.