A CRYPTIC message adorning a sky banner has given away the secret of Storyhouse’s 2018 Christmas show.

The words ‘Surrender Dorothy’ are currently being pulled along behind a plane in the blue skies over Chester.

And theatre bosses have just announced that classic musical The Wizard of Oz will be performed between December 7 this year and January 6, 2019.

Based on the classic MGM motion picture starring Julie Garland, Storyhouse is staging the RSCs version of L. Frank Baum’s books, featuring the well- known songs Somewhere Over the Rainbow and We’re Off to See the Wizard. With music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E Y Harburg and orchestration by Larry Wilcox. James Perkins will design (Sweet Chariot, The Royal Exchange, The Secret Seven, Storyhouse).

The production will be directed by Storyhouse’s artistic director Alex Clifton (A Little Night Music, The Secret Seven, The Beggar’s Opera, A Midsummer Night’s Dream).

The Wizard of Oz is one of the best known and enduring children’s stories of all time, made famous by Judy Garland in 1939 with MGM’s technicolour film.

Alex Clifton artistic director, Storyhouse said: ‘The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful, vibrant, fun and brilliantly familiar story to tell. Our version will feature all the favourite characters, songs and scenes from the movie but with lots of new things to discover as well.

“Building on the incredible success of The Secret Seven and the fantastic response it received from theatregoers we are confident The Wizard of Oz will be another gorgeous Christmas treat in Chester.”

Tickets are on sale now at www.storyhouse.com