Cameron Mackintosh announces the full London cast for Lionel Bart’s iconic musical, Oliver!, which will begin performances at Gielgud Theatre in London on Saturday 14 December 2024.
This critically acclaimed production, which Mackintosh has fully reconceived with director and choreographer Matthew Bourne, is presented in association with Chichester Festival Theatre, where Oliver!’s run as part of their 2024 Summer Season was 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. Patrons are advised to check daily for returns.
The full cast of Oliver! in the West End includes Simon Lipkin (Guys and Dolls, Avenue Q) as Fagin, Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon, The Bodyguard) as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell (Henry VI, Wicked) as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins (Les Misérables, BBC’s Dodger) as the Artful Dodger, Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Mother Goose, Only Fools and Horses The Musical) as Mr. Bumble, Katy Secombe (The Music Man, Les Misérables) as Widow Corney, Stephen Matthews (Strictly Ballroom, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) as Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig, Jamie Birkett (Peter Pan Goes Wrong, Mamma Mia The Party) as Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedwin, Philip Franks (The Rocky Horror Show, Witness for the Prosecution) as Mr. Brownlow, and Billy Byers as Alternate Artful Dodger.
The role of Oliver Twist will be played by Cian Eagle-Service (The Witches, Les Misérables), Raphael Korniets (The Snowman), Jack Philpott (The Witches, Matilda) and Odo Rowntree-Bailly (Love Never Dies). More incredibly talented young performers for the roles of Oliver and Dodger for later in the run will be announced in due course.
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.
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?
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! is a Cameron Mackintosh in association with Chichester Festival Theatre production.
