Cynthia Erivo plays Glinda in SNL UK's 'Nigerian Wicked' sketch

Cynthia Erivo spent two films as Elphaba, the green-skinned witch at the heart of "Wicked." On the British version of "Saturday Night Live," she finally got to try the other side of the friendship. Hosting "SNL UK" on Saturday, Erivo put on a blonde wig and a pink velour tracksuit to play Glinda in "Nigerian Wicked," a sketch that recasts the musical as a melodramatic Nollywood film, according to Variety. Clips of the sketch spread quickly on social media overnight.

*This report draws on reporting by Variety and Deadline, and on the official SNL UK upload; full list of sources below.*

Watch the official clip

The sketch was posted by the show's official channel, Saturday Night Live UK, under the title "Nigerian Wicked | SNL UK": https://youtu.be/3cPVqcS-6Lw

Watch "Nigerian Wicked | SNL UK" on the official Saturday Night Live UK YouTube channel

The official upload passed 100,000 views within about four hours of being posted, based on the counter on the YouTube page checked by NewsCubby on Saturday.

What happens in the sketch

The premise, as Variety described it, is a "lo-fi" Nollywood take on the story. Erivo's Glinda and Bamgboye's Elphaba set off to meet the Wizard, who in this version rules from "LagOz," a play on Lagos, Nigeria's largest city.

The sketch walks through familiar moments from the musical and twists each one. Where the stage show and film have Glinda and Elphaba sing "What Is This Feeling?" about how much they loathe each other, this version has Glinda simply slap Elphaba, Variety reported. Deadline noted a makeover scene and a moment in which Glinda judges Elphaba for eating a hard-boiled egg.

The "Emerald City" becomes "emerald, white and emerald city," a nod to the green-white-green colors of Nigeria's flag. When the pair arrive, they each have a wish for the Wizard: Glinda wants a designer handbag and Elphaba wants cosmetic surgery, Variety reported. The Wizard, voiced by actor Hammed Animashaun, turns out to be broke, and the sketch's final reveal about him involves a fake watch.

The ending is where the sketch gets its biggest reaction online. Throughout the piece, Glinda and Elphaba keep drifting into near-kiss moments. In the final beat, they lean in for a kiss before the scene cuts to a cheap-looking explosion effect, Variety reported. Deadline added that Bamgboye also attempts Erivo's famous high note from "Defying Gravity."

A quick guide to "Wicked"

For readers who have not seen it, "Wicked" retells "The Wizard of Oz" from the witches' point of view. The stage musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, is based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel and opened on Broadway in 2003. It follows Elphaba, a green-skinned outsider who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the popular student who becomes Glinda the Good, from their rocky start as roommates to a deep friendship that is tested by politics and power.

Several of the songs the sketch plays with are among the best known in modern musical theater. "What Is This Feeling?" is the comic duet in which the two roommates declare how much they cannot stand each other. "Defying Gravity," which closes the first act, is Elphaba's showcase number, ending on a soaring high note that has become closely linked with Erivo since the first film.

Why the role swap matters to fans

In Universal's two-part film adaptation, "Wicked" (2024) and "Wicked: For Good" (2025), Erivo plays Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande's Glinda. The films were major box-office hits, and Erivo earned an Academy Award nomination for best actress for the first one.

Seeing her in Glinda's pink was, for many viewers, the joke in itself. It also let Erivo poke fun at a role she is closely tied to without stepping on the original.

The near-kiss gag speaks to one of the biggest fan conversations around "Wicked." A large online fan community "ships" Elphaba and Glinda, meaning they imagine or root for the two as a romantic couple. Deadline framed the sketch as giving those fans the sapphic moment the films did not. The movies and the musical present the pair as close friends, and neither Universal nor the stars have suggested otherwise.

What is Nollywood?

Nollywood is the name for Nigeria's film industry, one of the most productive in the world. It is known for turning out large numbers of films quickly and on tight budgets, often with heightened drama, bold music cues and visible special effects. Those traits are what the sketch borrows, from the dramatic reactions to the deliberately basic explosion at the end.

The parody has a personal angle. Erivo was born in London to Nigerian parents and has spoken publicly about her heritage. That connection gives the sketch the feel of an affectionate in-joke, built from references that many Nigerian and Nigerian-diaspora viewers will recognize right away, from the flag colors and the Lagos pun to the Nollywood production style itself.

Who is Cynthia Erivo?

Erivo first broke through on stage. She won a Tony Award for her Broadway performance as Celie in the 2015 revival of "The Color Purple," and the cast recording earned her a Grammy. She also won a Daytime Emmy, leaving the Oscar as the one award missing from an "EGOT." She has been nominated for Academy Awards twice, for "Harriet" and for "Wicked."

Her "SNL UK" hosting stint follows a long run of "Wicked" promotion, which made her and Grande two of the most visible stars of the past two years.

The rest of the episode

The musical guest for Erivo's episode was the English band Blossoms, according to Deadline. The same weekend's "Weekend Update" segment also made headlines with jokes about Meghan Markle and the "Glee" reboot, Variety reported.

Is this an official "Wicked" project?

No. "Nigerian Wicked" is a comedy sketch made by "SNL UK." There is no indication that Universal, the producers of the films or the stage musical were involved, and NewsCubby is not suggesting they endorse it. Grande does not appear in the sketch. Parodies of hit films and musicals are a long tradition for the "SNL" format, which began with the American original on NBC in 1975.

What happens next

The official clip remains on the Saturday Night Live UK YouTube channel, and it is the only version NewsCubby links to. As of Saturday night, neither Erivo nor Grande had publicly commented on the sketch in the reports we reviewed. NewsCubby will update this story if either star responds, or if the show releases more material from Erivo's episode.

*This report draws on reporting by Variety and Deadline, and on the official SNL UK upload. It summarizes their reporting in our own words; quotes are attributed to the people and outlets that published them.*