News about L Frank Baum

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group's co-production, has been chastised for being 'woke' in a new West End version. The new staging at the London Palladium, starring Georgina Onuorah as Dorothy, Diversity dance star Ashley Banjo as the Tin Man and comedian Jason Manford as the Cowardly Lion, includes all of L Frank Baum's classic characters and locations. Oz is now regarded as a cross between Las Vegas and New York, and the yellow brick road has been redesigned, and it resembles a shabby American highway full of disused industrial equipment.

The Wizard of Oz's Garland version was the last word in special effects, make-up, set design, and costumes, not to mention the teenage star's career. Now, the film is expected to be revived with the help of writer/director Kenya Barris. However, the timeless tale, based on L Frank Baum's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, continues to attract viewers, but stories from the 1939 film are much less thrilling. Here, FEMAIL reveals some of the most surprising facts (including the ones shown above).