Wicked cast reveal what it takes to play the real Elphaba and Glinda – inside the 17-second costume changes, all-day texting and green paint "everywhere"

So far in the 2020s, there may not have been a film series more scrutinised than Wicked and its sequel, Wicked: For Good.

Throughout their production and press tours, fans, sleuths and trolls alike pored over every weird and wonderful detail, passing around pictures of nine million tulips and Cynthia Erivo's fake ears with more fervour than zealots in a... well, witch hunt.

Whether due to the supernatural love of the source material, or just plain old nosiness, the friendship of the two leads was the biggest source of obsession, with every glance, tear and finger-grip opening up discussions around how close Erivo and Ariana Grande must be, and just how intense playing the sainted roles of Elphaba and Glinda truly is.

So, what about the women who play the parts on a daily basis? Does that intensity translate to the West End stage?

Well...

"I think the safest thing two people can do in a rehearsal room is cry in each other's faces when you are so tired – and that's what we did!"

On the intimidatingly large stage of the Apollo Victoria Theatre, I sit across from Emma Kingston and Zizi Strallen, the current glittering baton-holders of Wicked's leading witches. Playing Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, the pair are framed perfectly in front of the show's well-known backdrop, a large opalescent clock sat beneath a mechanical dragon, and an array of their most iconic costumes.

Seeing my gaze fixed on Glinda's enormous, 14-pound blue bubble dress – with over 60,000 hand-sewn sequins mind you – Strallen tells me: "When you try it on for the first time, they say you need to control the dress, otherwise she will control you.

"It has a mind of its own. It sort of propels forward without you sometimes, we're on a raked stage here at the Apollo, which means it's sort of tilted down, so the the the dress will try and take me forward. She's a heavy beast, but she's very beautiful."

Of course, the heaviness of the costume is seemingly nothing compared to the responsibility that comes with donning it – especially when celebrating 20 years of the show this weekend.

"It's the old Spider-Man saying, "With great, with great power comes great responsibility", and it sort of feels like that when you're playing one of these witches," says Strallen, "So many people look to Glinda and Elphaba and relate to one, they relate to what they're going through, and how they're becoming who they are, so we've got this enormous pressure on us."

"It's such a great responsibility holding this story after 20 years," echoes Kingston, "But also, we're honoured to be the ones doing it."

The line of Elphaba's and Glinda's trailing behind them is certainly a long one, tracing back all the way to the Broadway originators Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth – although Helen Dallimore was the first to wave the wand over the West End – I ask them how they manage to find their own version of the characters in all that.

"I don't think Wicked would have lasted 20 years if everyone was a complete robot of who came before. And that's something the show teaches you, to accept your authentic self," Kingston reflects, "How amazing to be able to bring your authentic self in order to portray authenticity for an audience."

The two characters are a dream role for any West End hopeful, but it's true that the intensity is there. As Kingston says: "I think most people, having seen Wicked or listened to the album, think that it's a very demanding vocal track, which it is. But even more so, for the emotion of these characters, you have to approach them with 100 per cent energy. We physically do not know how to do this show at less than 100%.

"So by the time you do get to the end and sing For Good, and it's this moment of stillness between the two women, you can't help but just look in each other's eyes, and feel that moment of relief.

"It's very easy to access how they're feeling in that moment because of the sheer amount of energy you've had to use to get to that point."

Strallen adds: "Then I always, always get emotional seeing Emma melt – spoiler alert! – Glinda thinks that her friend is gone forever, and to watch that every night is is really emotional."

As with their on-screen counterparts, Kingston and Strallen confirm that a tight friendship is both a happy by-product and essential.

"We share in laughter, we share in tears, we share in all these things because we have such an intense trust of each other, especially on stage," smiles Kingston, "With the big highs and lows of playing these roles, we've always been very open and honest with each other about how we're feeling through the week."

"Totally," Strallen agrees, "It helps because we always know where the other is at emotionally when we're on stage, and because every show is different every single night, we are different every single night playing these roles. So we check in on how each other are feeling and then we'll be gelled together."

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Laughing, they continue: "We text each other, I would say from about nine o'clock in the morning until midnight!"

"We're like, I'm gonna see you in five minutes, and then sometimes in the intervals we're a floor away, and we will be texting saying, 'Oh, did you notice that in Act One?'

"Right up until the point where I was standing right outside your door, texting!"

Inevitably, when discussing the most difficult parts of the show, the conversation turns back to costumes as the pair confess their shortest change is just 17 seconds during the song One Short Day.

Then of course, there's the green paint. Iconic, but nevertheless fiddly.

After 20 years of honing the craft, the process takes around 40 minutes to put on, 25 minutes in the interval to add a shade darker (mimicking Elphaba's evolving character), and 20 minutes to take off.

"Green paint and myself go together like salt and pepper," laughs Kingston, "I'm constantly finding green in my ears, green in my nails, green in my hair, I have always thought of it as far more of a badge of honour.

"If someone comes up to me on the tube on the way home, which they have yet to do, and says, 'Oh, why are the insides of your ears bright green?' My answer will always be 'Because I play Elphaba in the West End, in Wicked...'

"Having said that, it is nice after a couple of days if I've been on holiday to feel like I am completely at one with my own skin."

As I round off with a question about the significance of the show's 20th anniversary, the pair pause for a minute, smiling fondly as they think about the story that, unironically, holds space in the hearts of so many.

"I think these two characters are so relatable. I think their friendship is so relatable. Whoever you are watching this, you can take away that friendships are not sunshine and roses all the time.

"In the best relationships, you love someone for who they are in that moment. You don't love them for who they were 20 years ago, otherwise, you're constantly chasing something that doesn't exist anymore.

"And I think with these two women, it's so relatable because they love each other, warts and all. They grow together at different points of their life, and I think that's what people come and see. They see they see female empowerment and they see female friendship, but they also see that it's not perfect, and imperfection is the most relatable thing."

A brief pause, then Strallen laughs: "On top of that, you've got banging songs."

Here's to another 20 years of Wicked at London's Apollo Victoria Theatre. You can buy tickets at TodayTix and London Theatre Direct.

Make sure you also check out our 20 facts for Wicked's 20th anniversary.

For more recommendations check out the Theatre section or listen to our new podcast In the Interval. Plus, our Jesus Christ Superstar review and Beetlejuice review. We also have events like the best kids theatre shows and best West End shows.