Wicked is the highly anticipated prequel to The Wizard of Oz, based on the hit Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. This epic fantasy tells the untold story of two iconic figures—Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a misunderstood young woman born with green skin, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), a popular, ambitious student. Set at Shiz University, the film follows their unlikely friendship as they navigate prejudice, power, and the dark political forces in the Land of Oz. While Glinda basks in privilege, Elphaba’s defiance of the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) leads her down a path that transforms her into the Wicked Witch of the West. As their lives take opposing directions, their choices ripple across Oz, forever altering its future. Featuring stunning performances and iconic music, Wicked delivers a reimagined origin story of the witches of Oz, challenging what it truly means to be “Wicked.”

The latest film from John Crowley is a poignant British romantic drama, strikingly led by Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.

Rather than a meet-cute, restaurateur Almut and recent divorcee Tobias’s first encounter is quite literally a car crash. After such a memorable meeting, an instant spark forms between the pair, overpowering any disagreements they may have about matrimony and children in their future. However, this romance is far from a fairytale when the cruel realities of mortality creep into Tobias and Almut’s lives, leaving them to reassess what they want from their careers and the life they are building together. Spanning the highs and lows of a decades-long relationship, Crowley’s (Brooklyn) drama is a fresh, funny and deeply moving romance that, thanks to Pugh and Garfield’s incredible chemistry, feels authentic and alive.

Inspired by Chris Marker’s La Jetée and with overtones of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, Asif Kapadia delivers an unsettling commentary on the state of the world today… and tomorrow.

Director’s Statement: 2073 is about a feeling of dread at what is happening and being normalised around the world. The film started after seeing Brexit happen through lies and corruption in the UK, I felt I had to make a film to understand why the world seemed to be moving towards lies, authoritarianism, violence. I interviewed journalists around the world, was I going crazy, or was something happening? The journalists agreed, there was a global trend, a democratic recession, technology played a huge part and this was also helping the destruction of the planet's ecosystem. 2073 has come out of those interviews and research. My aim was to connect the dots between many complex issues and countries in a single cinematic film.

Asif Kapadia is an Academy Award, BAFTA, Grierson and Grammy Award winning film director, writer and producer and one of the most influential filmmakers of our generation. Perhaps best known for his acclaimed trilogy of films AMY, SENNA and DIEGO MARADONA, he also directed eps of the MINDHUNTER series for Netflix, series directed and exec produced the critical hit music series 1971: The Year Music Changed Everything (AppleTV+) and he also co directed and exec produced the mental health series THE ME YOU CAN’T SEE (AppleTV+). We are delighted to welcome him back to The RIverside stage to present his new work.

Olivier award-winning director Damiano Michieletto (Carmen, Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci) returns to The Royal Opera for a new production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Conductor Antonello Manacorda, with whom Michieletto previously collaborated on Carmen, leads Juan Diego Flórez and Leonardo Caimi, who share the role of the poet E.T.A. Hoffmann, Alex Esposito as the Four Villains, Julie Boulianne as Nicklausse and Ermonela Jaho, Olga Pudova and Marina Costa-Jackson as Hoffmann’s unforgettable trio of lovers.