Of all the contenders, Cynthia Erivo stars in the most widely seen movie, and “Wicked” owes its emotional resonance to her performance as Elphaba, the reserved, gifted young outcast trying to hone her magic.

"I think what we have come to realise now is that it's maybe time to let the productions happen elsewhere with other people, and hone in on what we're really good at."

So to be able to hone an ending was also like another gift.

When some would assume she’d slow down, Manville has only sped up, and her prudent desire to continue honing her craft has made her into one of the most captivating actors in the business.

“Be you, play hard, play fast and then the rest will come. And I think she’s really bought into that, with these last couple games really honing in on the defensive end.”