How a quiet village turned into the Land of Oz for Wicked

As dramatic as local gossip can be, the idea of Ariana Grande filming a Hollywood blockbuster in Ivinghoe proved a step too far for many villagers.

Yet it was impossible for the naysayers to deny reality when Munchkinland began to emerge in the Buckinghamshire countryside in 2023.

It was all part of shooting Wicked - the Wizard of Oz spin-off, which hit UK cinemas on Friday and stars other A-listers including Cynthia Erivo and Jeff Goldblum.

Those living in the quaint village share their memories of what it was like when the Universal cameras came to town.

For Russell Smith, who owns the Daisychain cafe on the High Street, the mass of activity felt like an "alien invasion".

The 55-year-old spotted the pop-up film set being created while walking his dog along the canal towpath.

"Normally there's nothing there, so we were thinking, 'What the hell is that":[]}