Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent

‘The ad libs had us shaking behind the camera’: Corbyn and McKellen cameos raise panto’s profile

‘Oh, yes he is!’ Jeremy Corbyn as the Wizard of Oz in the Pleasance theatre production of Wicked Witches.
‘Oh, yes he is!’ Jeremy Corbyn as the Wizard of Oz in the Pleasance theatre production of Wicked Witches. Photograph: Pleasance 2025

We’re a third of the way through the fabulously camp production of Wicked Witches, a mashup of Wicked and The Wizard of Oz, at the Pleasance theatre in Islington, north London. Dor (formerly known as Dorothy) and Tin 2.0 need guidance on how to take down the Wicked Witch and save the borough of Oz-lington from a great blizzard.

But wait! Who’s that Facetiming? It’s only Jeremy Corbyn, the wise Wizard of Oz-lington! The 200-person audience cheers and applauds the Islington North MP, who looks as if he’s beaming in from the allotment.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.