All singing. All dancing. All thieving spectacular

The all singing. All dancing. All thieving spectacular.

"the atmosphere of a London Christmas, brimming with life, memorable music and indelible characters…a feast for the eyes and ears" — The Guardian
Auckland Theatre Company’s Oliver! at SKYCITY Theatre this November is the perfect Christmas treat for the whole family.
With over 35 performers including Mark Hadlow, Jennifer Ward Lealand, Sophia Hawthorne, Helen Medlyn and introducing Conrad Edwards and Mitchell Hageman as Oliver, this dazzling new production of the much-loved musical vividly brings to life Dickens’ timeless characters with its ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.
The sensational sing-along show is full of Lionel Bart’s irresistible songs 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.
“Oliver! is first-rate musical entertainment for the entire family” —New York Times

Based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel Oliver Twist, Oliver! chronicles the adventures of the orphaned boy Oliver as he escapes his bleak workhouse existence, journeys to London, and is taken in by a gang of apprentice pickpockets working for master thief Fagin while learning their trade. When Oliver is falsely accused of exposing the gang by the frightening Bill Sikes, he begins to realize he has more friends than he thought.

Composer Lionel Bart, hailed by Andrew Lloyd Webber as "the father of the modern British musical," debuted Oliver! in London in 1960, the first time the story had ever been told in a musical format. It was an instant hit, and after transferring to New York in 1963, it became Broadway's longest-running British musical to date.

Oliver! was nominated for 10 Tony awards and won three: Best Composer & Lyricist; Best Conductor & Musical Director; and Best Scenic Designer.

The recent West End revival produced by Cameron Mackintosh and starring Rowan Atkinson as Fagin set a new record for advance ticket sales to a musical, helped a long in no small part by the televised search for Nancy and Oliver in the show I Would Do Anything which featured Andrew Lloyd Webber as chief talent scout.

Auckland Theatre Company’s search for the role of Oliver began with an open audition in May and then a series of call backs to whittle down the hopefuls to the best two young actor, singer and dancers Auckland had to offer. By co-incidence the two successful auditionees are best friends, Conrad Edwards and Mitchell Edwards who sit beside each other in the same class at Kristin School.

Returning to the helm to create the richly theatrical world of Dickensian London at Christmas are the doyens of New Zealand theatre, director Raymond Hawthorne and designer Tracy Grant Lord. With an international theatre career spanning a century between them, the pair are relishing the opportunity to stage the biggest show in Auckland Theatre Company’s history.

“Oliver! is a highly theatrical show with a great and emotional story, toe-toe tapping songs and evocative settings. It’s a total treat for a creative team to work on” says Hawthorne.

“The show is so big half of Auckland Theatre Company’s administration office is being converted into a costume work room and the rehearsal schedule is 22 pages long!” he adds with a grin.

Oliver! The perfect time to introduce your kids to a life of crime. Tickets available from ticketek, 0800 ticketek (842 538) or www.atc.co.nz.

ENDS

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