” … the conception was great but like Oliver – I wanted more.”
Julia Newbould
3 Stars
SYDNEY FRINGE
Venue: Marrickville Town Hall
Dates: 2nd to 28th September 2025
The invitation arrived – “you are cordially invited to a magical birthday celebration in honour of Princess Ozma of Oz. Dress code: casual or formal – straw, tin, fur or patchwork all welcome.”
Naturally I chose formal and I got ready for something very special.
Signing a waiver before being admitted to the Fringe Festival’s Dorothy in Oz provided genuine trepidation.
What could it be – would I be dragged onto a stage and forced to jump through a hoop of fire? Would I be dangled from a height off some sort of trapeze? Would wild or other animals be set upon me?
Spoiler alert! No. But there was participation in activities, interaction with actors and an alcoholic beverage to imbibe.
And perhaps something that may have frightened others, was that it was a little like an escape room – finding clues, deciphering puzzles – but no escape. This was about finding the ingredients to mix a special cocktail. Quite tasty!
The clues were clever and were clearly written by a true fan, Alexander K Wregg. There were the five lands of Oz, the witches, Dorothy and Scarecrow but besides the quest to find the cocktail ingredients and the cast who were on hand to help the entertainment was mostly up to the audience.
It’s Dorothy in Oz, and a Fringe event, so I was expecting some musical numbers at the very least.
Scarecrow (Adam Watt) and Dorothy (Emilia Watts) were excellent as the hosts of the event and the conception was great but like Oliver – I wanted more.
Three munchkins
Julia Newbould, Theatre Now
