English
"No thief, however skilful, can rob one of knowledge, and that is why knowledge
L. Frank Baum
is the best and safest treasure to acquire."
"The world of 'Oz', and the man who created it, L. Frank Baum,
Charlotte Runcie, The Daily Telegraph
were to have a deep influence on the children's and fantasy literature
that followed, from C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien to
J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin."
Enter a world rich with imagination and allegory and discover the origin story of the Witches of Oz...
As part of programmes of study for English, Wicked offers a wealth of topics, relatable themes and
characters, and literary source material to inspire critical thinking, and literacy and oracy skills.
Wicked is inspired by "one of the most influential children's stories of all time" (The Times),
L. Frank Baum's 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' (1900), and based on the acclaimed 1995 adult
novel 'Wicked - The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West' by Gregory Maguire.
Discover more about the literary inspirations behind the musical, other famous prequels and
sequels, the witches and wizards of myth and legend, the magical worlds of fantasy fiction,
the history ofmagic, and the enduring legacy of 'Oz', in our free:
English Teacher Resource Pack
Learn more about our Wicked Writers: Be the Change persuasive writing competition
in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.
Did you know?
L. Frank Baum's inspiration for the name 'Oz' came from a filing cabinet in his study -
there were three drawers marked 'A-G', 'H-N', and "O-Z", and so 'Oz' was born.
In Wicked, the 'jewelled shoes' are silver, not ruby (as they were in the 1939 film).
This is because they were silver in Baum's original story and only became ruby
to make use of the Technicolor process in the MGM film.
The name 'Elphaba', the central character in Wicked, is derived from
L. Frank Baum's initials - 'L. F. B'.