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Whisked away by a swirling cyclone from her home in Kansas, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves in the magical kingdom of Oz. On her fantastic journey along the yellow brick road Dorothy meets the Munchkins, finds herself in an enchanted forest and makes some new friends - the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow!
The wonderful score includes: We’re Off To See The Wizard, Follow The Yellow Brick Road, If I Only Had A Brain and Somewhere Over The Rainbow. |
I played the role of the … Ummm …the brainless, lovable Scarecrow!
Back in 1997, while I was workshopping ‘Saturday Night Fever’, I was invited to audition for Paul Kerryson (the Artistic Director of the Leicester Haymarket Theatre) for his production of ‘Into The Woods’. With the role of Jack already cast, there really wasn’t anything else I was appropriate for. However, my audition had left a lasting impression, evidenced three years later by a call to my Agent asking if I would be interested in spending Christmas in Leicester playing the role of the Scarecrow in the RSC Version of ‘The Wizard Of Oz’. Familiar with Mr Kerryson’s fine reputation, I of course jumped at the chance.
 The production was clever, imaginative and very well received. This was a new and inspired visualisation of The Land of Oz as a 1950’s Pop-Art Corporate America. The Lion’s ‘den’ was a beat-up Pontiac in a forgotten parking lot; the Tin Man, a soldered advertisement for soft drinks, rusted beside a vast Warholian soup can; the Scarecrow shared his field with the Jolly Green Giant, and the Wicked Witch of the West, abandoning her broomstick, ‘flew in’ on a Harley Davidson motor bike!
Playing a ‘straw man’ for two months had an interesting effect of my constitution. On stage, my (brainless!) brain had to remember that without its support a Scarecrow is prone to unexpected collapse at any time, and off stage my back ached and my ‘wobbly’ knees sometimes clicked in at the most inappropriate moments!
I loved every moment spent in Oz, and Leicester was a life changing experience:
- for the first time in my career (yet to be repeated!) I was asked to turn on the Christmas Lights - while of course dressed as the Scarecrow.
- I realised that I didn’t ever want to have to work with animals and children again (joke!),
- I was awarded the Leicester Mercury Performance of the Year
- Oh, and I met my future wife!!
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“Utterly delightful, brilliant production … Simon Greiff’s Scarecrow is a pleasure to befriend”
Leicester Mercury
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“Simon Greiff was quite brilliant as the flexible friend searching for a brain…"
Evening News
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“Well worth catching” - Best Of Beyond Christmas 2000 The Independent
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“Another professionally executed production … great interpretation of the Scarecrow by Simon Greiff” Oadby Mail
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“The strong cast make (the show) a treat … the beguiling Simon Greiff” The Stage
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“Simon Greiff (and companions) steer away from the MGM stereotypes … further proof that musical theatre can be sustained outside London” The Guardian
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“Utterly brilliant Simon Greiff” – Performance Of The Year Leicester Mercury
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