Oliver!: Difference between revisions

* 2024 Chichester Festival Theatre (Revised& Production[[West byEnd Camerontheatre|West MackintoshEnd]] andRevival Matthew Bourne)

[[Cameron Mackintosh]] produced another revival of the show which opened at the [[London Palladium]] in the West End on 8 December 1994. The production team included a young [[Sam Mendes]] as director, with [[Anthony Ward]] as designer, [[Matthew Bourne]] as choreographer, [[Martin Koch (orchestrator)|Martin Koch]] as music supervisor and [[William David Brohn]] as [[orchestrator]]. The cast included [[Jonathan Pryce]] (after much persuasion) as Fagin, [[Sally Dexter]] as Nancy, [[Miles Anderson]] as Bill Sikes, [[James Villiers]] as Mr. Brownlow, [[James Saxon (actor)|James Saxon]] as [[Bumble (Oliver Twist)|Mr. Bumble]], [[Jenny Galloway]] as Widow Corney, David Delve as Mr. Sowerberry and [[Julia Deakin]] as Mrs. Sowerberry. The role of Oliver was played by numerous child actors during the run of four years, including Gregory Bradley, Ben Reynolds, [[Jon Lee (singer)|Jon Lee]], [[Steven Webb]], [[James Bourne]], Simon Schofield, James Rowntree and [[Tom Fletcher]], while the Artful Dodger was played by [[Adam Searles]] and others including Matt Johnson, Paul Bailey and Bronson Webb. The role of Bet was played by [[Danielle McCormack]], Rosalind James, [[Francesca Jackson]] and [[Lindsey Fawcett]].<ref>Wolf, Matt. [https://web.archive.org/web/20121114111228/http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117903458.html "Review: ''Oliver!''"], ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', 12 December 1994</ref> The role of Fagin was later played by many notable British actors and comedians including [[George Layton]], [[Russ Abbot]], [[Jim Dale]] and [[Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay]] (who won an [[Olivier Award]] for his performance in 1997). Bill Sikes was later portrayed by [[Steven Hartley]] and [[Joe McGann]], and Nancy by Sonia Swaby, [[Claire Moore (singer)|Claire Moore]] and [[Ruthie Henshall]]. The musical closed on 21 February 1998.<ref>[http://www.thisistheatre.com/shows/londonp124.html "''Oliver!'' listing, 1994–1998"] thisistheatre.com, retrieved 28 May 2010</ref>

==== 1998-99 UK tour ====

British comedian [[Rowan Atkinson]] played [[Fagin]]. He had played the role in a school production but had turned it down in the Palladium revival. [[Burn Gorman]] played Bill Sikes, making his West End musical debut. Three actors shared the role of Oliver: Harry Stott, Laurence Jeffcoate and Gwion Wyn Jones. [[Robert Madge (actor)|Robert Madge]], Ross McCormack, Eric Dibb Fuller and Jack Glister played The Artful Dodger. [[Jodie Prenger]] won the role of Nancy, shared with Australian [[Tamsin Carroll]], who played two performances each week. [[Sarah Lark]], a runner-up on "I'd do Anything" understudied the role. [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] actor [[Julian Glover]] played Mr. Brownlow with [[Julian Bleach]] as Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig, [[Louise Gold]] as Mrs. Sowerberry, Julius D'Silva as [[Bumble (Oliver Twist)|Mr. Bumble]] and Wendy Ferguson as Widow Corney. The revival was nominated for three 2010 [[Olivier Award]]s: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Atkinson) and Best Theatre Choreography, but failed to win any. After the departure of the original Olivers, the role was passed on to Zac Hurst, Francesco Piancentini-Smith, Edward Cooke, Edward Holtom and Ethan Smith. Edward Holtom madeleft athe sad departure,role one month before his scheduled leave and the datedeparture, onwhen his contract expired. No reason was given for this.

When Rowan Atkinson fell ill in April 2009, Russ Abbot stepped in to play the role temporarily.<ref>Shenton, Mark. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127963-Stepping-in-for-Ailing-Atkinson-Abbot-Will-Play-Fagin-in-London-Oliver "Stepping in for Ailing Atkinson, Abbot Will Play Fagin in London ''Oliver!''"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228161754/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/127963-Stepping-in-for-Ailing-Atkinson-Abbot-Will-Play-Fagin-in-London-Oliver |date=2011-12-28}}, ''[[Playbill]]'', 3 April 2009</ref> Abbot had starred in the 1997 Palladium run. In July 2009, British comedian [[Omid Djalili]] replaced Atkinson as Fagin,<ref>Shenton, Mark. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131260-Djalili-Succeeds-Atkinson-as-Fagin-in-Londons-Oliver-Beginning-July-20 "Djalili Succeeds Atkinson as Fagin in London's ''Oliver!'' Beginning July 20"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111228164210/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/131260-Djalili-Succeeds-Atkinson-as-Fagin-in-Londons-Oliver-Beginning-July-20 |date=2011-12-28}}. ''[[Playbill]]'', 20 July 2009</ref> receiving positive reviews. In December 2009, [[Griff Rhys Jones]] took over as Fagin, with [[Steven Hartley]] as Bill Sikes.<ref>Paddock, Terri. [http://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/09-2009/griff-rhys-jones-takes-over-olivers-fagin-14-dec_15869.html "Griff Rhys Jones Takes Over ''Oliver!''{{'}}s Fagin, 14 Dec"]. whatsonstage.com, 14 December 2009</ref> Hartley had played Sikes in the 1997 Palladium production. In March 2010, [[Kerry Ellis]] took over the role of Nancy, also receiving positive reviews.<ref>[http://www.whatsonstage.com/photos/theatre/london/E8831269958141/Photos%3A+Kerry+Ellis+Gives+Oliver!+New+Oom-pah-pah+.html "Kerry Ellis Gives ''Oliver!'' New Oom-pah-pah"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406173237/http://www.whatsonstage.com/photos/theatre/london/E8831269958141/Photos:+Kerry+Ellis+Gives+Oliver!+New+Oom-pah-pah+.html |date=2010-04-06}}. Whatsonstage.com, March 30, 2010</ref> At the same time, Bleach, D'Silva, and Ferguson were replaced by Jason Morell, Christian Patterson, and Claire Machin, respectively. In June 2010, Russ Abbot again took over as Fagin. Stephen Moore was a replacement for Mr. Brownlow. [[Ron Moody]], the original Fagin, joined the cast at the end of the performance on 14 June 2010, in celebration of the show's 50th Anniversary.<ref name=BWW-Close>[https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/West-Ends-OLIVER-to-Close-Jan-8-SHREK-on-His-Way-20100623 West End's OLIVER! to Close Jan 8; SHREK on His Way?] Broadway World 23 June 2010</ref> Griff Rhys Jones returned as Fagin in December 2010.{{fact|date=December<ref>[https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/musical-cast-rhys-jones-oliver-matilda-bells_11679/ 2023}}Musical Cast: Rhys Jones Oliver!, Matilda & Bells], ''WhatsonStage'' 13 September 2010</ref>

The production closed on 8 January 2011, to be replaced at the theatre by the original London production of ''[[Shrek The Musical]]''.<ref name=BWW-Close/><ref>[http://www.playbill.com/article/shrek-the-musical-to-open-at-theatre-royal-drury-lane-in-may-2011-com-169777 ''Shrek The Musical'' to Open at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in May 2011], ''[[Playbill]]'' 2 July 2010</ref>

==== 2011 UK and Ireland tour ====

===2023 Off-Broadway RevivalEncores!===

In June 2022, it was announced [[New York City Center]] would stage ''Oliver'' as a part of its [[Encores!]] series.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2022/06/new-york-city-center-encores-light-in-the-piazza-dear-world-oliver-1235045093/ ‘Oliver!’, ‘The Light In The Piazza’ & ‘Dear World’ Set For New York City Center Encores! 2023 Season]</ref> The cast features [[Lilli Cooper]] (Nancy), [[Raúl Esparza]] (Fagin), Julian Lerner (The Artful Dodger), [[Tam Mutu]] (Bill Sikes), [[Brad Oscar]] (Mr. Bumble), Benjamin Pajak (Oliver), [[Michael Siberry]] (Mr. Brownlow), and [[Mary Testa]] (Widow Corney) with direction by Lear deBessonet. The production ran from May 3rd - 14th 2023.<ref>[https://www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2022-2023/oliver/ Encores 2023 Lionel Bart’sBart's Oliver!]</ref> [[Gavin Lee]] was the standby for Fagin but went on several times during the run.<ref>[https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Gavin-Lee-To-Go-On-as-Fagin-Tonight-in-OLIVER-at-New-York-City-Center-20230509 Gavin Lee To Go On as 'Fagin' Tonight in OLIVER! at New York City Center]</ref>

In 1968, Oliver was taken to Japan for 3 months with Sean Kenny's original set, by the Japanese film company Toho Productions. "[[Consider Yourself]]" was translated into Japanese for the final Curtain Calls. Directed by GeoffreyGeoff Ferris who had worked on the UK production in 1967.

Australian actor [[Robin Ramsay (actor)|Robin Ramsay]] played Fagin. Most of the cast were British including Ian Calvin, along with two London original WorkhouseBritish boys, Ray Millross who played the Artful Dodger and Terry Latham who played Charlie Bates. Ray Millross had played one of the boys and Oliver in the original production at the then New Theatre in London and also shared the role of the Artful Dodger at the Piccadilly Theatre in London in 1967 before transferring to the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Japan in 1968 for 4 months. The rest of the workhouse boys and Fagin's gang were American including Robbie Benson, now a well known American Actor and Linda Purl who shared the role of Bet, also now a well known American Actor and Singer.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:80100%;"

! Original London

! Original Australia

! Original Broadway

!London revivalRevival

! First Broadway revivalRevival

! London revivalRevival

! Second London revivalRevival

!<small>1960</small>

!<small>1961</small>

!<small>1963</small>

!<small>1967</small>

!<small>1965</small>

|[[Barry Humphries]]/Robin Ramsay

| align=center|[[Raúl Esparza]]<hr>
|[[GavinSimon LeeLipkin]]

|Paul Bartlett/Freddie Foot/Steven Newman

| align=center|[[Braden Danner]]

* Nancy: [[Claire Moore (singer)|Claire Moore]], [[Ruthie Henshall]], [[Sonia Swaby]]

* Fagin: [[Vincent Price]], [[Gary Wilmot]], [[Neil Morrissey]], [[Brian Conley]], [[Peter Polycarpou]], [[Cameron Blakely]], [[Bruce Adler]], [[Patrick Page]], [[David Garrison]], [[Jeff McCarthy]], [[Donald Corren]], [[Steve Furst]], [[Gavin Lee]]

* Nancy: [[Samantha Barks]], [[Cat Simmons]], [[Laura Pitt-Pulford]], [[Alice Fearn]], [[Jenny Fitzpatrick]], [[Ellen Greene]], [[Jenny Powers]], [[Katherine Shindle|Kate Shindle]]

* Bill Sikes: [[Iain Fletcher]], [[Oliver Boot]], [[Ben Crawford (singer)|Ben Crawford]], [[Jose Llana]]