A third Wicked movie? Not quite. But this past weekend, SNL UK was hosted by Cynthia Erivo, and a Wicked sketch was inevitable. The inevitable came to fruition in a parody trailer for the newest Nollywood production, ‘Nigerian Wicked: LGBTQ’.
In the clip, Erivo is decked out in pink and adorns a blonde wig as we get a glimpse into what she may have brought to the Glinda role. Meanwhile, SNL UK cast member Ayoade Bamgboye plays Elphaba.
This spoof hit all the Wicked beats with a Nigerian inflexion. It is set in LagOz, the “Emerald, white, and Emerald City” and amps up the drama to recall the heightened melodramatic tone of early Nollywood films.
As for the gay plotline, there is a moment early on where Glinda and Elphaba share a passionate look, edging towards each other as their lips tremble. The same tension arises as the SNL UK sketch ends, and this is when we come to know that we are not just watching ‘Nigerian Wicked’ (as the title card reads) but ‘Nigerian Wicked: LGBTQ’.
Thus, the sapphic subtext that audiences unearthed is finally brought to the foreground.
Erivo and the cast are clearly having a lot of fun, and after the show aired, she took to Instagram to post some playful behind-the-scenes moments from shooting.
View this post on Instagram
Bamgboye also shared some backstage footage and captioned her post, “GUYS I’m completely blown away by the response to ‘Nigerian Wicked (LGBTQ)’ I simply must stress that a group of miraculous people put their ALL into this. I wrote the most unhinged thing I’ve ever imagined and [Cynthia Erivo] made such light work of it. I’ll need another 6-12 months to process what it’s like to witness her craft up close.”
After the Wicked press tour resulted in many mocking the seriousness with which Erivo and her co-star Ariana Grande spoke about the film, it is nice to see that the potential for humour is not lost on them.
It is significant that Erivo is able to revisit one of her most famous projects, one with such potent pop-culture resonance, and include elements which highlight her identity as a queer woman with Nigerian heritage. As the credits roll at the end of the sketch, on the screen is Erivo’s full Igbo-Nigerian name: Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Owezuke Amarachukwu Echimino Erivo.
© 2026 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
Support GCN
GCN is a free, vital resource for Ireland’s LGBTQ+ community since 1988.
GCN is a trading name of National LGBT Federation CLG, a registered charity - Charity Number: 20034580.
GCN relies on the generous support of the community and allies to sustain the crucial work that we do. Producing GCN is costly, and, in an industry which has been hugely impacted by rising costs, we need your support to help sustain and grow this vital resource.
Supporting GCN for as little as €1.99 per month will help us continue our work as Ireland’s free, independent LGBTQ+ media.