Oliver Twist, Born and Raised in a Workhouse, His Mother Having Died During Childbirth, with Nothing to Hope For, Not Even Dreams to Keep Him Warm in the Night
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By arrangement with MusicScope and Stage musicals Limited of New York St Albans Operatic Society (to become St Albans Musical Theatre Company) presents Music, Lyrics and Book by Lionel Bart Produced for the Broadway stage by David Marrick and Donald Albery 28th April to 2nd May 2015 Evenings at 7.30pm Wednesday & Saturday matinee at 2pm saos.org.uk London. Victorian London; a city unlike that which we now experience. Grimy buildings, sooty faces, poverty, overcrowding, the mean spirited face of capitalism, exploitation and drunkenness spilling onto the streets. OK, scratch that – maybe some things haven’t changed. However for the poor, and their children, it was a wretched place to live. Picture the scene. The boy, Oliver Twist, born and raised in a workhouse, his mother having died during childbirth, with nothing to hope for, not even dreams to keep him warm in the night. Bullied and harassed by his peers and abandoned by his parents. A poster boy for the disenfranchised children of that era – surely he is destined to a life of servitude and misery? But with a ‘Twist’ of fate, and for daring to challenge his cruel lot, by asking for more food, Oliver escapes one dead end, an apprenticeship with an undertaker, and falls into another rotten situation - forced to rob from the innocent to line the pockets of the dastardly Fagin. In a story that echoes the shadowy past of Dickens himself, we follow Oliver on a perilous journey through London where he meets The Artful Dodger and falls in with a gang of thieves. He somehow escapes into the relative safety of the Brownlow residence, is then hounded by the menacing Bill Sykes and his downtrodden girlfriend Nancy, before falling back into the clutches of Fagin. Oliver is thrust into the centre of a plot to rob him of his identity and rightful inheritance. Will he survive, or will he fall victim to the twisted minds of those out to get him? In a world where friend and foe merge into the shady haze of London back streets, Oliver is sure to enthral. Phil Hancock We’ll leave you wanting more! Rob Milner – Director Hello Everyone. Welcome to St Albans Operatic Society’s production of Oliver! Rob’s last show as director for St Albans Operatic Society was the 2003 This is a musical based on the time old classic from Charles Dickens. We have some amazing songs which production of Carousel and he’s delighted to be back. He has appeared on stage will leave you begging for ‘more’ and we hope you will ‘consider yourselves at home’ as you settle into in Jesus Christ Superstar as Pilate and The Hot Mikado as the Mikado. Rob’s your seats to enjoy the show! last show as a director was Jack the Ripper for Abbots Langley. Rob has been The last time we performed this musical, our current lady chairman played the part of Widow Corney; a a performer with SAOS for many years, having played Fred, Kiss Me Kate; thoroughly nasty piece of work! We are confident that the present Widow Corney will be equally as nasty Joe, Charlie Girl; the Pirate King, Broadway Pirates; Curly, Oklahoma, and but, along with the rest of the cast, will give an unforgettably exciting and memorable performance. We Dick Deadeye, HMS Pinafore. Rob has also been a regular performer with hope you will ‘review the situation’ favourably and continue to support us - for which we are very grateful. Abbots Langley G&S where he has played many lead roles, including Robin Oakapple in Ruddigore for which he received a nomination for Best Male As of July this year we will be changing our name from St Albans Operatic Performer at the International G&S festival. Society to St Albans Musical Theatre Company (SAMTC). We have done this to Rob’s favourite role that he has played was Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady. reflect the type of shows that our company is currently performing and to give a more modern look to what we do and who we are. So ‘as long as you need us’ we Outside of musical theatre, Rob indulges in a passion for sacred choral music. He set up and runs the will always be here for you. junior choir at St Michael’s church in St Albans – any budding choristers please make contact! Sit back and have a wonderful evening Jane Foufas Philip Joslin – Musical Director Chairman Following training at Trinity College of Music, London and a degree from Bristol University, Philip has conducted a wide variety of musical For everyone’s enjoyment styles including anything between classical works and modern We want you to enjoy the performance to the full so as a courtesy to musicals. He has appeared at the International Gilbert and Sullivan both audience and cast please switch off all mobile phones and electronic devices. Festival (when in Buxton) with Abbotts Langley G&S Society as The videotaping or audio recording of this performance is strictly prohibited. conductor and was nominated for best MD. He is also a guest Thank you for your co-operation. conductor with the Grim’s Dyke Opera Company. Philip works with many local societies. Recent MD credits include Yeomen of the Guard*, HONK!, Iolanthe*, Trial by Jury*, HMS Pinafore*, Princess Ida, The Mikado*, with ALGSS; Annie, Guys & Dolls, The Sound of Music, The King and I, Sweeney Todd with SAOS; Oh What a Lovely War, Guys & Dolls, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, The Pirates of Penzance* with Radlett Light Operatic Society; Sweeney Todd with PIT Productions; Me and My Girl with Cassio and Pippin with Panda Players. Directorial credits include the play ‘Sullivan and Gilbert’ and operetta ‘The Zoo’. Philip has also re-orchestrated, for smaller forces, seven of the G&S Operettas (including those asterisked above). These orchestrations have been and are used worldwide by numerous different companies. Philip is sometimes to be seen treading the boards, and, in a rare example of this, he will be playing the part of Horton the elephant in ALGSS’s production of Seussical the Musical this June. He would be delighted to see you in the audience as he will actually be facing that way! Philip will be returning next year to MD Fiddler on the Roof for SAOS. Joyce Smith – Choreographer Joyce started dancing at an early age and completed her training at Arts Educational and the London College of Dance and Drama, where she spent several years teaching dance. Over the years she has choreographed and appeared in numerous productions including Cabaret, Hair (amateur premiere), Follies, Sweet Charity, Chess, Jesus Christ Superstar, Into the Woods and an award winning production of War of the Worlds, to name but a few. She is a member of St Albans Operatic Society, Harpenden Operatic Society, The Barn Theatre and The Hertfordshire Players, who perform at the Minack Open Air Theatre in Cornwall. Joyce hopes you enjoy our production of Oliver! as much as she has enjoyed working on it. Charlie Harden – Mr Sowerberry Susan Akroyd – Mrs Sowerberry Charlie is delighted to be undertaking the Susan joined St Albans Operatic Society 13 years ago when she role of Mr Sowerberry in this production of played the part of Florence in Chess. Since then she has performed Oliver! Previous roles include Eugene in both as a principal and in the chorus, most recently as Hattie in Kiss Grease, Bert Healy in Annie, Rolf in The Me Kate and Baroness Elsa Shraeder in The Sound of Music. Other Sound of Music and Seymour in Little Shop roles with SAOS include Hebe, HMS Pinafore; Aldonza, Man of of Horrors. Charlie would like to dedicate La Mancha; the Beggar Woman, Sweeney Todd and Lady Thiang, his performance to the special little Oliver The King and I. Favourite roles with other societies are Ann, Half in his life, his nephew Ollie, and to his a Sixpence; Tzeitel, Fiddler on the Roof; Tessa, The Gondoliers; nephew William and niece Jessica. Mad Margaret, Ruddigore; Miss Adelaide, Guys and Dolls and Maria, The Sound of Music. When not treading the boards, Susan practices her nagging as a housewife and mother of five! Jamie Ross – Bill Sykes Jamie has previously appeared as the King in the SAOS Tony Bradburn – Mr Bumble production of The King and I in 2010. Jamie is thrilled to be Tony has been involved in musical theatre part of the society and enjoys sharing his skills with passionate since the age of eleven in various guises members. He loves working with people who want to develop including dancer, actor, singer and the society and see it continually grow for future generations. director. He has been a member of SAOS Jamie has no previous musical or acting training but feels the for five years and was last seen as the seasoned members of the society and directional team have Butler in Annie, so he has moved from worked hard to develop his role in the production. Jamie being nice to a cast of little girls to being would like to thank Rob Milner and Philip Joslin for putting horrible to a cast of little boys! their faith in him. “If you are looking for a wonderful hobby with a great bunch of people - join! You know my name…” Tony is also a long-term member of the Company of Ten at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans. Howard Salinger – Fagin Howard trained to be an actor for 5 years, in culminating some Debby Connor – Widow Corney gruelling training at Mountview.