Show Pics: Considering Prenger & Oliver! Co-stars

With the first preview of Cameron Mackintosh’s major West End revival of Oliver! only a month away, publicity shots have been made available of the show’s stars, including I’d Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger (Nancy) alongside fellow principals Rowan Atkinson (Fagin) and Burn Gorman (Bill Sikes).

Also featured in the photoshoot are Eric Dibb Fuller, Robert Madge and Ross McCormack – who were recently cast from open auditions in London to play the Artful Dodger, as well as Lawrence Jeffcoate, one of the three boys rotating in the title role after selection as part of the BBC’s I’d Do Anything competition. The production opens on 14 January 2009 (previews from 12 December 2008) at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and is currently booking through to 26 September 2009.

Oliver! is directed by Rupert Goold, based on Sam Mendes’ 1994 staging at the London Palladium. Goold will be joined by two key members of Mendes’ original creative team, Matthew Bourne, who will co-direct and choreograph the new outing, and set designer Anthony Ward. Lighting is by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Groothuis, orchestrations by William D Brohn and musical supervision by Martin Koch. Mendes’ production ran for 1,366 performances from December 1994 to February 1998 at the Palladium, where it grossed more than £40 million.

Lionel Bart’s 1960 musical is based on Charles Dickens’ literary classic Oliver Twist and, beyond its theatre fanbase, found legions of fans from the 1968 film version starring Mark Lester as Oliver, Shani Wallis as Nancy, Ron Moody as Fagin, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger and Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes. The score includes now-famous songs including “Consider Yourself”, “It’s a Fine Life”, “As Long as He Needs Me”, “Oom-pah-pah”, “Food, Glorious Food”, “I’d Do Anything” and the title song. The stage production is presented by Mackintosh in association with the Southbrook Group Limited.

– by Theo Bosanquet