Under the direction of the production team including director Amy Biankian, musical director Natalie Davis-Pratt, choreographer Caitlin Dennis and assistant director Lauren Carter, the streets of Victorian England come to life as Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker.
You’ll consider yourself at home with this musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, ‘Oliver Twist’, as Oliver escapes to London and finds acceptance among a group of petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin.
When Oliver is captured for a theft that he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr Brownlow, takes him in. Fearing the safety of his hideout, Fagin employs the sinister Bill Sykes and the sympathetic Nancy to kidnap him back, threatening Oliver’s chances of discovering the true love of a family.
HMDS president Felicity Amos, who plays ‘Nancy’, says the cast is oozing with talent and the show is a must see.
“It features a stack of Cumberland residents including Wendy Hudson, the Safadi Family (Anton, Natasha and Isabella), Zoe Powney, Sophie Penisini, Gabbi Dutrey, Louise Corbin and Pelagia Yakimov,” she said.
“The passion of everyone involved, coming together like a family, really comes through as you watch the show and we feel it embodies everything that’s good about community theatre.
“There are some dark themes like murder and kidnapping so we suggest parental guidance for younger audience members but it’s a highly entertaining story for all ages and we’ve loved every minute spent creating it.”
With tickets from $35, you can book to catch ‘Oliver!’ at Redgum Centre, Wentworthville, from this Friday, June 28, to Sunday, July 7, with matinee options available, at: hmds.org.au.
Dickens classic Oliver’s a must see for families
A FAVOURITE classic with catchy songs that you’ll know, a new production of ‘Oliver!’ created by the Holroyd Musical and Dramatic Society (HMDS), debuted to a sold-out audience last week.
