This adaptation has made stars out of child actors like Davy Jones, Phil Collins, Steve Marriott, and Tony Robinson. Oliver has been a star maker since it debuted in 1960 at the New Theatre on June 30, 1960. For 2618 performances, the show sold tickets to a theatrical sensation that soon crossed over the Atlantic and found a place on Broadway. The show took home 10 Tony Nominations and made the show as much a hit in the States as it had been in Britain.
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The story of Oliver Twist is taken from the words of Charles Dickens, shortened and altered by Lionel Bart, and given a rotating stage that makes the story of an orphan and his journey for a place in the world a musical splash. Apart from the revolutionary stage, the musical is noteworthy for the freedom it ahs taken with the story, altering Fagin from an anti-Semitic Dickens character to a comical thief. Oliver tickets endeared an otherwise despicable character to the hearts of millions as the show has traversed the world through revival after revival.
Fans have enjoyed watching as Fagin and his army of prepubescent thieves have made their mark and picked a few pockets along the way. The latest revival returns the production to the London stage. This time Oliver finds itself at the Theatre Royal and with big names and reality show selling the tickets before the show even graced the stage.
Directed by Rupert Goold, the cast includes Rowan Atkinson as Fagin, Burn Gorman as Bill Sykes, and Julian Glover as Mr. Brownlow. Taking a nod from MTV, the BBC held a reality competition to fill the roles of Oliver and Nancy. In the end it was Laurence Jeffcoate who captured the title character and Jodie Prenger who will play the torn Nancy.