2026 Fringe Review: ‘The Wizard of One’

After the Wicked wave the world has been on, what’s not to love about indulging in the world of Oz just a little longer?

Written by Amos Altman, link The Wizard of One re-imagines the classic Wizard of Oz story in a seniors home. Frank gets sent off to a retirement community by his evil almost daughter-in-law Azkedelia. From there on out, Frank is determined to find his way home. Along the way he meets the cranky and croaky Zoey, the terrified Jerome, and Jackson with a terrible memory.

Neil James plays all 12 of the characters, hence the name of the show. With only himself, a couple of props, and some tech support, James carried the weight of the whole show on his back. He shifts from character to character by changing his voice and mannerisms too many times to count. He does an admirable job juggling the task, but unfortunately, at times, he resembled the Looney Tunes Tasmanian devil, spinning from role to role.

There were funny moments throughout that helped the show along. Most of them were funny because of James’ mannerisms or voices. Watching James fight against himself with the evil witch’s broom and a cane cracked me up. James exaggerated every movement and popped off little jokes. But that still didn’t save the play.

The problem wasn’t so much James’ efforts or acting as it was the script. The idea of transforming the Wizard of Oz story into an escape-attempt from a seniors home sounds hilarious. But the script thinly painted over the original source material with new names and shallow characters.

None of the character’s motivations really pulled me in, nor did any of their personalities. The fast pace and one-man cast leaves the audience with little time to get invested in the characters. And while by the end, Frank got to go home (spoiler alert), nothing really felt resolved.

Re-imaginings may give you all of the major plot points and character archetypes for a story, but they also demand something fresh. A new perspective and something interesting to say. The Wizard of One doesn’t offer either. This might be a great show to take your kids or younger siblings to. It’s simple, easy to follow, and G-rated. But if you’re looking for a funny and sharp play that keeps you enthralled for an hour, this probably isn’t it.

The Wizard of One is playing at the Edmonton Fringe Festival until August 22.