An Interview with Geoff Aymer, playwright of The Wonderful

This December, Theatre Peckham’s Christmas show will be The Wonderful, a Wizard of Oz meets Black Panther inspired reimagining of L. Frank Baum’s classic tale. Artistic Director Suzann McLean, in collaboration with actor and writer Geoff Aymer, will stage this truly representative adaptation celebrating the vibrant community in which Theatre Peckham serves. The music and dance in the show bring a fusion of Afro beats and Hip Hop into the world of musical theatre.

Our Co-founder Chanelle Denton had the pleasure of interviewing playwright Geoff Aymer on his magical Christmas creation which is on stage until December 22nd.

CD: What inspired you to write this reimagined classic story?

GA: Suzann McLean, the artistic director of Theatre Peckham, put the idea to me. She had asked some of the youngsters who regularly attend Theatre Peckham classes and activities what sort of story they’d like to see. “Wizard of Oz meets Black Panther” was the response. The Wizard Of Oz is a well known story with some timeless themes and, as a fan of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the idea of fusing this story with the mythical land of Wakanda and in so doing bringing the original story to a new audience was very appealing to me.

CD: What message are you hoping audiences get from the play?

GA: The main message is to have faith and belief in yourself. We all have some sort of talent or quality that makes us stand-out or at the very least, makes us unique. It’s about tapping into that and also, not being afraid to be yourself rather than succumbing to what you think others would like you to be. Making Ozanda a fusion of the original Oz and Wakanda is also not just a nod to the Black Panther comics/ movies, it’s also my way of flagging up the fact that pre-colonialism, parts of Africa were a lot more advanced than history tells us they were. 

CD: How easy was it to translate your vision on stage?

GA: For that I have an incredible creative team to thank for this. Suzann, Ben (the musical director); and Chris and Hannah (the choreography team) have completely bought into the vision I put down on paper. And they have done their utmost to bring my writing and the music of the two composers, Jordan Xavier and Nick-Bowers Broadbent to life and actually elevate to a level even I didn’t imagine. 

CD: What can people expect from this production?

GA: A very modern spin on the classic tale with characters that are slightly different for the originals and in so doing, giving it a feel that’s a bit more relevant to the young folk of today. They can also expect a lot of humour—I really enjoy making people laugh. There’s also a nice selection of music—Afro-beats, funk, calypso/soca, traditional musical theatre. Above all, expect a lot of fun!