Cynthia Erivo Turns Wicked Into a Hilarious Nollywood Drama
Cynthia Erivo, the British-Nigerian actress, trades her Elphaba role for a blonde wig, pink tracksuit and classic Nollywood-style drama in a sketch called Nigerian Wicked on Saturday Night Live UK. The parody matters because it takes one of the world's biggest musicals and reimagines it through Nollywood humour.
What would Wicked look like if Nollywood got its hands on it? Apparently, there would be slaps, Birkin bags, a questionable BBL wish and a Wizard who cannot afford to grant anybody's request.
Cynthia Erivo has given fans a hilarious answer to that question with a comedy sketch titled Nigerian Wicked, featured on Saturday Night Live UK. The Oscar-nominated actress swaps the green makeup associated with her famous role as Elphaba for a blonde wig and pink tracksuit as she takes on the character of Glinda in the parody.
And if you know anything about the dramatic twists, exaggerated confrontations and unforgettable one-liners that have made Nollywood films a cultural phenomenon, you can probably imagine where this is going.
From Oz to LagOz
In the original Wicked, Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba, the misunderstood green-skinned witch, while Ariana Grande portrays Glinda, the popular witch whose complicated friendship with Elphaba forms the heart of the story.
But in Nigerian Wicked, the roles take a different turn.
Erivo plays Glinda, while comedian Ayoade Bamgboye portrays Elphaba in an intentionally over-the-top, low-budget adaptation of the hit musical. Rather than relying on elaborate musical performances and emotional ballads, the sketch leans into outrageous dialogue, dramatic confrontations and the kind of chaos that makes you wonder whether the characters are friends or enemies.
Their destination? The mysterious Wizard of LagOz.
Even the name tells you that this is not going to be an ordinary trip down the yellow brick road.
Forget the musical: Nigerian Wicked brings on the slaps
One of the funniest moments comes when Glinda responds to Elphaba's complaints with a slap across the face.
Anyone familiar with Wicked will remember that the tension between the two characters is famously explored through the song “What Is This Feeling?” But in this Nigerian-inspired version, the disagreement gets a more physical interpretation.
“Glinda, you slapped me!” Elphaba protests.
“Yes, because you are very classless,” Glinda replies.
It is the kind of exchange that turns a complicated friendship into a full-blown dramatic confrontation in seconds.
The sketch also takes aim at the famous makeover sequence. When Elphaba worries about the cost of her transformation, Glinda assures her that their visit to the Wizard will make everything worthwhile.
Then Elphaba delivers a response that takes the conversation somewhere nobody expects.
“ The Wizard? But I'm a virgin!" she declares.
The two nearly share a kiss, adding yet another layer of absurdity to their already complicated relationship.
Birkin bags, BBLs and a broke Wizard
Things get even more ridiculous when the pair arrive in the so-called “emerald, white and emerald city” to meet the Wizard.
Their requests are not exactly what audiences would expect from a traditional fantasy musical:
- Glinda wants a Birkin bag.
- Elphaba hopes to get a “skinny BBL.”
The Wizard, voiced by Hammed Animashaun, announces Elphaba's request with a dramatic declaration: “She wants a BBL that defies gravity!”
It is a clever reference to Wicked's iconic song “Defying Gravity”, reimagined through the lens of contemporary beauty culture.
Unfortunately, the girls soon discover that the supposedly all-powerful Wizard has a problem: he has no money.
Glinda takes one look at his watch and dismisses it as a “nolex”, a playful jab at counterfeit luxury goods.
So much for their dreams of magical transformations and expensive designer accessories.
The women return to Shiz, where the chaos continues. Just as the scene appears to be heading toward a romantic moment, an explosion effect interrupts them, followed by the Wizard's closing declaration: “Nigerian Wicked: LGBTQ!”
It is an intentionally chaotic ending to a sketch that refuses to take itself seriously.
Cynthia Erivo returns to the other side of Wicked
Beyond the jokes, the parody offers a playful reversal for Erivo, who became widely associated with Elphaba through the film adaptation of Wicked, starring opposite Ariana Grande.
This time, she gets to play Glinda, a character whose glamorous appearance and seemingly confident personality make her a natural fit for the sketch's exaggerated comedy.
The production also brings Nigerian comedian Ayoade Bamgboye and actor Hammed Animashaun into the mix, using a familiar Hollywood musical as the foundation for a distinctly Nigerian-style parody.
The result is a collision of Broadway fantasy, Nigerian humour, beauty culture and dramatic storytelling.
Nollywood humour meets global pop culture
The sketch works because it takes a globally recognised story and reimagines it through familiar cultural references. The Wizard becomes the Wizard of LagOz, magical wishes become demands for luxury fashion and cosmetic procedures, and a complicated friendship becomes an excuse for dramatic insults and unexpected romance.
It also plays with the exaggerated storytelling conventions that international audiences often associate with Nollywood, turning them into comedy without abandoning the original story's central characters.
For Nigerian viewers, the references provide an extra layer of humour. For Wicked fans, the parody offers a ridiculous alternative universe in which the characters' problems are solved not through soaring musical numbers, but through slaps, designer bags and questionable promises.
Whether you are a fan of the original musical or simply enjoy seeing familiar stories get an outrageous makeover, Nigerian Wicked is a reminder that pop culture can travel across borders and still find new ways to make people laugh.
And honestly, if the Wizard of LagOz cannot afford a Birkin bag, perhaps Glinda and Elphaba should have checked his bank balance before making the trip.
