Entertainment
Full cast announced for Gielgud Theatre presentation of Oliver!
The Lionel Bart penned musical is brought back to stage by Cameron Mackintosh…
Today the full London cast for Lionel Bart’s much-loved musical, Oliver!, has been confirmed. Performances will begin at Gielgud Theatre in London on Saturday, December 14th 2024.
The full cast of Oliver! in the West End includes Simon Lipkin as Fagin, Shanay Holmes as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins as the Artful Dodger, Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Mr. Bumble, Katy Secombe as Widow Corney, Stephen Matthews as Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig, Jamie Birkett as Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedwin, Philip Franks as Mr. Brownlow, and Billy Byers as Alternate Artful Dodger.
The role of Oliver Twist will be played by Cian Eagle-Service, Raphael Korniets, Jack Philpott and Odo Rowntree-Bailly. ‘More incredibly talented young performers for the roles of Oliver and Dodger for later in the run will be announced in due course’ the theatre notes.
Forming the young adult cast are Callum Hudson (Noah Claypole), Isabelle Methven (Bet), Lochlan White (Charley Bates) and Harry Cross (Dandy). The ensemble members/swings are: Rachael Archer, Tegan Bannister, Adam Boardman, Lois Craig, Stephen John Davis, Bethany Huckle, Ebony Jonelle, Bethan Keens (Charlotte), Danny Lane, Peter Nash, Josh Patel-Foster, Sam Peggs, Jasmine Sakyiama, Wendy Somerville (Old Sally), Charlie Stripp, Leah Vassell and Matthew Whennell-Clark.
This critically acclaimed production, which Cameron Mackintosh has fully reconceived with director and choreographer Matthew Bourne, is presented in association with Chichester Festival Theatre, where the show ran as part of their 2024 Summer Season and became the biggest success in the theatre’s history.
Most performances for the beginning of the West End run are already sold out with best availability for weekday performances from mid-January 2025 and for weekends and midweek matinees from early February.
Following a nationwide search where hundreds of children from all around the country came to London to audition, the younger roles in Fagin’s gang are shared by Toba Agbelusi, Zoe Akinyosade, Ben Birch, Preston Cropp, Kylan Michael Denis, Sebastian Elton, Liam Findlay, Rudy Gibson, Stanley Guy, George Hamblin, Lily Hanna, Sammy Jones, Grace King, Jonny Niland, Hugo Pechey, Alex Prior, Teddy Probets, William Skinner, Ethan Sokontwe, Dylan Xavier and Aaron Zhao.
Lionel Bart’s musical masterpiece, freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ novel, Oliver! tells the story of the orphaned Oliver Twist, who escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London’s murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind-hearted Nancy and when he’ s wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp?
Cameron Mackintosh with the late Lionel Bart in 1994
With a sensational score, including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, As Long As He Needs Me and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens’ ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.
Produced and revised by Cameron Mackintosh, Oliver! is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne and co-directed by Jean-Pierre van der Spuy. Designed by Lez Brotherston, lighting design is by Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs, sound design by Adam Fisher, video design by George Reeve, new orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe based on the original by William David Brohn; music supervision is by Graham Hurman.
Oliver!
Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6AR
Oliver! is a Cameron Mackintosh in association with Chichester Festival Theatre production.
