Margolyes & Planer Set for West End Wicked Cast; Ellis to Follow Menzel

The cast of the West End's Wicked is coming together. Miriam Margolyes and Nigel Planer have now been confirmed for the roles of Madame Morrible and The Wizard, respectively.

Margolyes is a character actress who is best known for her film appearances in Harry Potter and the Chamber of the Secrets in which she played Professor Sprout, Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet in which she played the Nurse, Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence winning the Best Supporting Actress BAFTA for her performance and Little Dorrit winning the L.A. Critics' Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has toured her solo show Dickens' Women all over the world and is currently playing Miss Prism in Peter Hall's production of The Importance of Being Earnest opposite Lynn Redgrave's Lady Bracknell at New York's Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Planer is best known as a comedy performer and writer. He is a founder member of London's Comedy Store and is an original member of the Comic Strip. He was in the original London cast of the premiere production of Evita at the Prince Edward in 1978, and more recently in the original London cast of We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. His numerous TV appearances include playing Neil in The Young Ones. His first play, On the Ceiling, played a brief season at the West End's Garrick Theare last year after transferring from Birmingham Rep.

They join the previously announced Idina Menzel, who will recreate her Tony Award-winning performance as Elphaba for the first three months of the run. Kerry Ellis, also from the original London cast of We Will Rock You, has announced on her website that she will take over from Menzel after she departs in January. Also so far announced is Adam Garcia, who will play Fiyero. The rest of the London cast will be announced shortly.

The West End production of Wicked is set to begin performances at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on September 7.