Cynthia Erivo swapped Elphaba for Glinda in SNL UK’s Nigerian Wicked sketch on 24 October. The spoof drew on Nollywood film trailers.
The British actor and singer, whose parents are Nigerian, appeared opposite regular cast member Ayoade Bamgboye as Elphaba. The sketch, titled Nigerian Wicked, recast the musical’s characters in a spoof Nigerian film trailer.
WhatsOnStage reported that the trailer was presented as a production by the fictional Holy Ghost Productions. Its setting included LagOz, a play on Lagos and the musical’s Land of Oz, with Hammed Animashaun appearing as the Wizard.
The casting reversed Erivo’s familiar position in the film adaptations, in which she plays Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda. Here, Bamgboye took the green witch’s role while Erivo played her counterpart in the comedy.
The sketch was released through Saturday Night Live UK’s official YouTube channel. It formed part of an episode that paired Erivo’s hosting appearance with performances by indie rock band Blossoms, the musical guest.
Sky had announced the pairing on 29 September, confirming Erivo as the last of three hosts scheduled for October. Danny Dyer hosted on 10 October with singer Sasha Keable, followed by James Norton and The Streets on 17 October.
Saturday Night Live UK combines a different celebrity host and musical guest each week with sketches, live music and a British version of Weekend Update. Its second series continues on Saturdays at 10pm on Sky and streaming service NOW.
Bamgboye and Animashaun are among the returning cast members named by Sky for the series. The ensemble also includes George Fouracres, Annabel Marlow, Emma Sidi and Paddy Young, alongside Freddie Meredith and other performers.
Universal Television Alternative Studio’s UK production team and Broadway Video make the programme for Sky and NOW. Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels serves as executive producer, with James Longman as lead producer.
Erivo follows another Wicked performer on the programme’s hosting roster. Jeff Goldblum, who plays the Wizard in the films, hosted the second series’ opening episode in September, TV Insider reported.
Erivo was born in London and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, which records her graduation from its acting degree in 2010. Her career has since spanned musical theatre, cinema, television and recording.
She played Celie in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, earning Tony and Grammy recognition. Her screen work includes the title role in Harriet, Kasi Lemmons’s 2019 film about abolitionist Harriet Tubman, for which she also co-wrote the song Stand Up.
Erivo later portrayed Aretha Franklin in the television miniseries Genius: Aretha. Her Wicked films were directed by Jon M. Chu, adapting the stage musical whose Broadway production opened in 2003.
The Golden Globes’ awards record lists nominations for her performances in Harriet, Genius: Aretha, Wicked and Wicked: For Good, as well as for Stand Up. Sky described her ahead of the hosting appearance as an Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner and three-time Oscar nominee.
The 24 October episode is listed by Peacock as the sixth episode of Saturday Night Live UK’s second season. Nigerian Wicked is available separately on the programme’s YouTube channel.
Image: Cynthia Erivo at a Wicked FYC panel in Santa Monica, 6 February 2025. Photograph by Kevin Paul / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Cropped for display. Archive photograph, not the SNL performance.
