It’s hard to know where to start with the amazing production, to think OLIVER 50th is just incredible and to celebrate it with Ron Moody, Russ Abbot, Steven Hartley & Kerry Ellis at the Theatre Royal made it an unforgettable evening!
To help celebrate Oliver turning 50, Ron Moody (the original Fagin for the 1960s production) returned to stage at the end of the show. Moody even managed a song of ’You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two’ joined in part by the show’s current Fagin Russ Abbot. During Moody’s speech he thank people involved the Production past and present and also took time to thank Cameron Mackintosh who was sadly not at the show last night.
Oliver! original opened in London West End on the June 30 1960, at the New Theatre (now the Noel Coward Theatre). The production ran for 2618 performances. Among the original cast were Ron Moody as Fagin and Barry Humphries as Mr Sowerberry.
There was a West End revival during the late 1970s, at the Albery Theatre (the renamed New Theatre; now the Noel Coward Theatre), starring Roy Hudd as Fagin, which ran for over two years. This was Cameron Mackintosh's first revival of Oliver! totally faithful to the 1960s original!
A Cameron Mackintosh produced revival opened at the London Palladium on December 8 1994. The cast included Jonathan Pryce Fagin and Sally Dexter as Nancy. A soundtrack was also recorded for this production. The musical ran for over 3 years before closed on February 21 1998.
In January 2009 a production of Oliver! heavily based upon the 1994 Palladium production opened in London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Produced once again by Cameron Mackintosh. It was announced early on that the central role of Fagin would be played by British comedian Rowan Atkinson (who had previously played the role in a school production but had turned down the role in the Palladium run) and that Burn Gorman would play Bill Sikes, making his West End musical debut. The leading roles of Nancy and Oliver were successfully cast via the BBC reality television show series I'd Do Anything. The three actors who won the role of Oliver were Laurence Jeffcoate, Harry Stott and Gwion Wyn Jones. Jodie Prenger won the role of Nancy.
On Saturday March 27 2010, Jodie Prenger left the show after a run of fifteen months. Kerry Ellis replaced Prenger, and received extremely positive reviews. On June 12 2010, Griff Rhys Jones left the production and on June 14 he was officially replaced by Russ Abbot.
It has been confirmed that the production will close on January 8 2011.
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