Worcestershire Teenager Cast in New Wicked Film Adaptation

A teenager from Worcestershire has secured a role in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical Wicked, where he will appear alongside prominent Hollywood actors such as Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, and Jeff Goldblum. Arlo Turner, a 15-year-old resident of Great Witley, portrays a “Munchkinland kid” in the movie and delivers its opening dialogue: “Good news – the witch is dead!” A year 11 student at The Chantry School in Martley, Arlo’s prior screen credit includes a non-speaking part in the recent musical film version of Matilda. His audition for Wicked took place in July 2022, with confirmation of his successful casting arriving eight months subsequent to that date. Arlo’s interest in the performing arts is long-standing; he previously attended the Beat Breakerz dance school in Worcester and is currently enrolled at the Shaun Paul Smith Dance Academy in Redditch. According to his mother, Charlotte, Arlo would dance alongside street musicians when he was younger. She further stated that she has consistently aimed to foster humility and kindness in him. She remarked, “When he was auditioning, we talked about how important dance was but also how you conduct yourself.” “You are one of many and you are part of a team, and Arlo just exudes that through and through.” Arlo expressed profound gratitude for the encouragement provided by his family and friends, a group that now includes Ariana Grande, whom he encountered during filming. He stated, “She was so nice. We actually got to chat… I was a bit starstruck, but at the end of the day you see she’s just another person there and everybody’s just doing their job.” He added, “We talked about not growing up too fast. Obviously being in the industry is amazing, but you’ve really got to enjoy your time as kids, because it goes quite fast.” The film Wicked is currently showing in cinemas. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.