Originally Posted by Chaperone:
“Yeah, he was in with the orphanhouse boys.”
“Yeah, he was in with the orphanhouse boys.”
Oh dear, I clearly wasn't looking hard enough.
Are all the boys in it as orphans then?
Who's your favourite Oliver?
81 of 82
A few of them are! Kwayedz is going to be in a movie or something!
I also read that Jonny was understudying Oliver!
I also read that Jonny was understudying Oliver!
Yes, Jonny's there alright! You get a clear look at him over Gwion's shoulder when he sings 'beautiful food' solo near the end. He's on the right in the background.
Doesn't bode well for Oliver-spotting from the back of a theatre when it was so difficult with close-ups
Doesn't bode well for Oliver-spotting from the back of a theatre when it was so difficult with close-ups
Originally Posted by iss1234:
“Yes, Jonny's there alright! You get a clear look at him over Gwion's shoulder when he sings 'beautiful food' solo near the end. He's on the right in the background.
Doesn't bode well for Oliver-spotting from the back of a theatre when it was so difficult with close-ups”
“Yes, Jonny's there alright! You get a clear look at him over Gwion's shoulder when he sings 'beautiful food' solo near the end. He's on the right in the background.
Doesn't bode well for Oliver-spotting from the back of a theatre when it was so difficult with close-ups
”
That was when I saw him too, glad it wasn't just me
And think he was standing up on the bench at the very end.
Originally Posted by fairycakes:
“Gwion was absolutely amazing!! Still as cute as ever although grown slightly.. and hes so expressive in his acting and vocals!
I think I saw Gwion (obviously), Jordan, Alex and a little of Laurence!
None of my favourite Chester though!
”
“Gwion was absolutely amazing!! Still as cute as ever although grown slightly.. and hes so expressive in his acting and vocals!
I think I saw Gwion (obviously), Jordan, Alex and a little of Laurence!
None of my favourite Chester though!
”
Gwion was just so cute and adorable!
Dodger was great too... who was he? He'll steal the show!!
Looooooong read ahead, be prepared 
I've seen the show!! Three times so far even, haha.
I think a lot of what I'm about to say can already be found somewhere on the web or even on this forum, but tbh I cba with searching for it, and since this topic was my home all along, I'll just post it all here. I'm stubborn that way.
First things first: as we all know the kids are divided into three groups. All the boys, except for Kwayedza, have a part in the show, although they are all divided over the three groups.
It seems to be that every group of kids is connected to one particular Oliver and one Dodger. If this is always the case, then the combinations are as stated below.
There is the "Farthings team", which is Gwion's group. Dodger in this group is Robert Madge. Out of the IDA-boys, only Jonny is in this group. Making him Gwion's understudy. When you go to see the show and Gwion is your Oliver that night, look for Jonny:
- In the first scene (Workhouse, Food Glorious Food) on the far left of the stage (your left, when you're looking at the stage).
- During "Consider Yourself" he'll appear briefly close to the end of the song on the right of the stage and does a hand clap game kinda thing with another kid.
- After "Be Back Soon" there's the robbery and Jonny will come on stage at the beginning of that in a grey outfit, talk to the bookseller's kid for a while and then walk off.
- During "Who Will Buy" he's in the boys' class in the blue dresslike outfits which cracked me up tbh.
- Close to the end there's the chase and he's there with one of the women, but he's easy to miss in this part.
Then there's the "Shiillings team". This is Harry's group. Dodger in this group is Eric Dibb-Fuller. Lots of the IDA-boys are in this group. Chester, who's understudy for Harry, Arthur, who's in Fagin's gang (and is just too cute, but I'll get to that later), Sam, who play's the bookseller's kid throughout most of the show and Joseph, who I really tried to spot, but tbh, didn't see throughout the whole show. When you go to see the show and Harry is your Oliver, look for Chester in the exact same parts Jonny plays in the other group. I've seen them both, so I know they play the same parts.
Look for Arthur in Fagin's gang. He first appears in this part during Consider Yourself, when he crawls out of a wheelbarrow, although he's also among the workhouse kids in the first scene.
Sam, like I said, appears a couple of times as the booksellers kid and therefore is one of the few other kids to actually have a line. This is when he comes to Mr. Brownlow's home to return the books. Also, in the robbery scene, he and Chester chat for a while.
Joseph is definitely in the show, but if anyone else spots him, please say so, because I sure didn't.
Lastly, there's the "Tanners team", which is Laurence's group. Dodger in this group is Ross McCormack. Out of the IDA-boys, Alex, Jordan and Gareth are in this group.
Alex is understudy for Laurence and therefore it's pretty safe to say he plays the same parts Jonny and Chester play in the other performances.
Jordan is in Fagin's gang and was supposed to be Charlie, but I heard that he got switched with one of the other boys. Since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't confirm or deny.
Gareth, supposedly, plays the same part Sam does in some of the other performances. Again, since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't say if this is true or not.
Back in May I already bought tickets for two performances, Monday 19 Jan and Tuesday 20 Jan. I kinda presumed kids wouldn't play two shows in a row, because that's what I'm used to over here. So I figured this would mean I got to see at least two different boys. I soon learned this wasn't true, and the same kids play roughly three shows in a row.
So on day 1, Harry was my Oliver. Then I didn't know which "team" was Harry's, so I started to play "spot the Oliver" the moment the show started. We were on row T, which isn't all THAT far back, but it's also not quite close, so I had to use the binoculars, but found Chester almost immediately And was all excited about that, haha.
Harry did a very good job playing the part, although to me he still just doesn't LOOK all that Oliver-esk. However, he did really well portraying the fear, the sadness, the happiness and everything Oliver is.
Arthur in Fagin's gang is absolutely wonderful. This part just suits him so well. He made a lot of progress in the dance department. He just had the awwww-factor.
Chester in all the several parts is really just one of the many kids on stage in this show, which makes sense, since he's understudying Harry, so he can't have one of the bigger parts. However, I did manage to notice him every time he was on and he's still very obviously one of the better dancers. The blue dresslike uniform in Who Will Buy is very sugary sweet, and I think no self-respecting 12 yo boy would want to be caught dead in that, haha. Ah well, it did fit the scene, the time and all that, so all for show business, I suppose.
Sam does a good job as the booksellers kid, and (maybe it's the blondeness) is just one of those kids you notice. I know there've been many comments about Sam in the past and not all good, but seeing him on stage now, even in such a small part, there's no denying the kid does have stage-presence.
Joseph, like I said, I didn't see him, tbh. Maybe he just was absent during this performance, or maybe he just didn't catch my eye. Shame though, I always liked wee Joseph...
Dodger, Eric, is worth a mention, because he's just amazing. I was blown away by his performance and to think the boy is only 10! He just owned the show imo.
Another funny fact about this show is that Charlotte Spencer, who plays Bet, used to play Jane Banks in Mary Poppins, when Harry played her younger brother Michael.
The show in itself was just stunning. Rowan Atkinson IS Fagin and Jodie does wonderful as Nancy. I was so pleased to see Sarah And it's just everything, the actors, the decor (OMG the decor ), the songs, the choreography, the way everything flows together. Maybe it's because I invested so much emotionally in this show, but I haven't seen anything this good in years tbh. If ever.
So, the next day, Tuesday, I went back. I had the same cast as the day before, but we sat much closer this time, so "spot the Oliver" became somewhat easier
Still amazing, all of it.
Then, I wanted to go a third time, that had been the plan all along, because I wanted to see all three boys be Oliver during my week in London. However, I knew now, all three wasn't going to happen, so I was going to have to settle for seeing two. I went back on Thursday and this time Gwion was Oliver.
It wasn't easy to get tickets at the last minute, but Drury Lane still had one of the boxes available.
Now these seats are quite luxurious because they're almost private and you're very close to the stage. On the other hand, because you're all the way to the side of the theatre, you also miss certain things happening on stage, because you can't see the whole stage. It is however a great spot to see facial expressions
I got a really good look at Jonny throughout the show, who was really giving it his all. Made me smile.
Gwion, as expected, made the whole theatre go "awww" and I thought he gave a really really strong performance. They did train him to speak with less of an accent, although it's so cute that in words like "beautiful" and "wonderful" you can still hear the "Welshness". And wonderful he was. In both singing and acting he was very strong and confident.
Robert Madge played Dodger in this performance. I don't know if this was the same kid who was Dodger in CIN, I have to see CIN again, but he did look really familiar, I kinda think I saw him in the Oliver auditions. He was a good and funny Dodger. Very well casted.
Tamsin Carroll played Nancy this night and even though she was really good, tbh, I think Jodie does a better job.
I left London two days later feeling kinda sorry I hadn't seen Laurence perform, since he was actually my favourite out of the three, and I'm now thinking of going back for a weekend or so to see Laurence (and Alex, Gareth and Jordan) as well. If I can figure out when he's on, that is. I am, however, happy to have seen so many of the IDA boys again. I've missed them!
I've seen the show!! Three times so far even, haha.
I think a lot of what I'm about to say can already be found somewhere on the web or even on this forum, but tbh I cba with searching for it, and since this topic was my home all along, I'll just post it all here. I'm stubborn that way.
First things first: as we all know the kids are divided into three groups. All the boys, except for Kwayedza, have a part in the show, although they are all divided over the three groups.
It seems to be that every group of kids is connected to one particular Oliver and one Dodger. If this is always the case, then the combinations are as stated below.
There is the "Farthings team", which is Gwion's group. Dodger in this group is Robert Madge. Out of the IDA-boys, only Jonny is in this group. Making him Gwion's understudy. When you go to see the show and Gwion is your Oliver that night, look for Jonny:
- In the first scene (Workhouse, Food Glorious Food) on the far left of the stage (your left, when you're looking at the stage).
- During "Consider Yourself" he'll appear briefly close to the end of the song on the right of the stage and does a hand clap game kinda thing with another kid.
- After "Be Back Soon" there's the robbery and Jonny will come on stage at the beginning of that in a grey outfit, talk to the bookseller's kid for a while and then walk off.
- During "Who Will Buy" he's in the boys' class in the blue dresslike outfits which cracked me up tbh.
- Close to the end there's the chase and he's there with one of the women, but he's easy to miss in this part.
Then there's the "Shiillings team". This is Harry's group. Dodger in this group is Eric Dibb-Fuller. Lots of the IDA-boys are in this group. Chester, who's understudy for Harry, Arthur, who's in Fagin's gang (and is just too cute, but I'll get to that later), Sam, who play's the bookseller's kid throughout most of the show and Joseph, who I really tried to spot, but tbh, didn't see throughout the whole show. When you go to see the show and Harry is your Oliver, look for Chester in the exact same parts Jonny plays in the other group. I've seen them both, so I know they play the same parts.
Look for Arthur in Fagin's gang. He first appears in this part during Consider Yourself, when he crawls out of a wheelbarrow, although he's also among the workhouse kids in the first scene.
Sam, like I said, appears a couple of times as the booksellers kid and therefore is one of the few other kids to actually have a line. This is when he comes to Mr. Brownlow's home to return the books. Also, in the robbery scene, he and Chester chat for a while.
Joseph is definitely in the show, but if anyone else spots him, please say so, because I sure didn't.
Lastly, there's the "Tanners team", which is Laurence's group. Dodger in this group is Ross McCormack. Out of the IDA-boys, Alex, Jordan and Gareth are in this group.
Alex is understudy for Laurence and therefore it's pretty safe to say he plays the same parts Jonny and Chester play in the other performances.
Jordan is in Fagin's gang and was supposed to be Charlie, but I heard that he got switched with one of the other boys. Since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't confirm or deny.
Gareth, supposedly, plays the same part Sam does in some of the other performances. Again, since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't say if this is true or not.
Back in May I already bought tickets for two performances, Monday 19 Jan and Tuesday 20 Jan. I kinda presumed kids wouldn't play two shows in a row, because that's what I'm used to over here. So I figured this would mean I got to see at least two different boys. I soon learned this wasn't true, and the same kids play roughly three shows in a row.
So on day 1, Harry was my Oliver. Then I didn't know which "team" was Harry's, so I started to play "spot the Oliver" the moment the show started. We were on row T, which isn't all THAT far back, but it's also not quite close, so I had to use the binoculars, but found Chester almost immediately
And was all excited about that, haha.Harry did a very good job playing the part, although to me he still just doesn't LOOK all that Oliver-esk. However, he did really well portraying the fear, the sadness, the happiness and everything Oliver is.
Arthur in Fagin's gang is absolutely wonderful. This part just suits him so well. He made a lot of progress in the dance department. He just had the awwww-factor.
Chester in all the several parts is really just one of the many kids on stage in this show, which makes sense, since he's understudying Harry, so he can't have one of the bigger parts. However, I did manage to notice him every time he was on and he's still very obviously one of the better dancers. The blue dresslike uniform in Who Will Buy is very sugary sweet, and I think no self-respecting 12 yo boy would want to be caught dead in that, haha. Ah well, it did fit the scene, the time and all that, so all for show business, I suppose.
Sam does a good job as the booksellers kid, and (maybe it's the blondeness) is just one of those kids you notice. I know there've been many comments about Sam in the past and not all good, but seeing him on stage now, even in such a small part, there's no denying the kid does have stage-presence.
Joseph, like I said, I didn't see him, tbh. Maybe he just was absent during this performance, or maybe he just didn't catch my eye. Shame though, I always liked wee Joseph...
Dodger, Eric, is worth a mention, because he's just amazing. I was blown away by his performance and to think the boy is only 10! He just owned the show imo.
Another funny fact about this show is that Charlotte Spencer, who plays Bet, used to play Jane Banks in Mary Poppins, when Harry played her younger brother Michael.
The show in itself was just stunning. Rowan Atkinson IS Fagin and Jodie does wonderful as Nancy. I was so pleased to see Sarah
And it's just everything, the actors, the decor (OMG the decor ), the songs, the choreography, the way everything flows together. Maybe it's because I invested so much emotionally in this show, but I haven't seen anything this good in years tbh. If ever.So, the next day, Tuesday, I went back
. I had the same cast as the day before, but we sat much closer this time, so "spot the Oliver" became somewhat easier Still amazing, all of it.
Then, I wanted to go a third time, that had been the plan all along, because I wanted to see all three boys be Oliver during my week in London. However, I knew now, all three wasn't going to happen, so I was going to have to settle for seeing two. I went back on Thursday and this time Gwion was Oliver.
It wasn't easy to get tickets at the last minute, but Drury Lane still had one of the boxes available.
Now these seats are quite luxurious because they're almost private and you're very close to the stage. On the other hand, because you're all the way to the side of the theatre, you also miss certain things happening on stage, because you can't see the whole stage. It is however a great spot to see facial expressions
I got a really good look at Jonny throughout the show, who was really giving it his all. Made me smile.
Gwion, as expected, made the whole theatre go "awww" and I thought he gave a really really strong performance. They did train him to speak with less of an accent, although it's so cute that in words like "beautiful" and "wonderful" you can still hear the "Welshness"
. And wonderful he was. In both singing and acting he was very strong and confident.Robert Madge played Dodger in this performance. I don't know if this was the same kid who was Dodger in CIN, I have to see CIN again, but he did look really familiar, I kinda think I saw him in the Oliver auditions. He was a good and funny Dodger. Very well casted.
Tamsin Carroll played Nancy this night and even though she was really good, tbh, I think Jodie does a better job.
I left London two days later feeling kinda sorry I hadn't seen Laurence perform, since he was actually my favourite out of the three, and I'm now thinking of going back for a weekend or so to see Laurence (and Alex, Gareth and Jordan) as well. If I can figure out when he's on, that is. I am, however, happy to have seen so many of the IDA boys again. I've missed them!
Originally Posted by Chaperone:
“Looooooong read ahead, be prepared
I've seen the show!! Three times so far even, haha.
I think a lot of what I'm about to say can already be found somewhere on the web or even on this forum, but tbh I cba with searching for it, and since this topic was my home all along, I'll just post it all here. I'm stubborn that way.
First things first: as we all know the kids are divided into three groups. All the boys, except for Kwayedza, have a part in the show, although they are all divided over the three groups.
It seems to be that every group of kids is connected to one particular Oliver and one Dodger. If this is always the case, then the combinations are as stated below.
There is the "Farthings team", which is Gwion's group. Dodger in this group is Robert Madge. Out of the IDA-boys, only Jonny is in this group. Making him Gwion's understudy. When you go to see the show and Gwion is your Oliver that night, look for Jonny:
- In the first scene (Workhouse, Food Glorious Food) on the far left of the stage (your left, when you're looking at the stage).
- During "Consider Yourself" he'll appear briefly close to the end of the song on the right of the stage and does a hand clap game kinda thing with another kid.
- After "Be Back Soon" there's the robbery and Jonny will come on stage at the beginning of that in a grey outfit, talk to the bookseller's kid for a while and then walk off.
- During "Who Will Buy" he's in the boys' class in the blue dresslike outfits which cracked me up tbh.
- Close to the end there's the chase and he's there with one of the women, but he's easy to miss in this part.
Then there's the "Shiillings team". This is Harry's group. Dodger in this group is Eric Dibb-Fuller. Lots of the IDA-boys are in this group. Chester, who's understudy for Harry, Arthur, who's in Fagin's gang (and is just too cute, but I'll get to that later), Sam, who play's the bookseller's kid throughout most of the show and Joseph, who I really tried to spot, but tbh, didn't see throughout the whole show. When you go to see the show and Harry is your Oliver, look for Chester in the exact same parts Jonny plays in the other group. I've seen them both, so I know they play the same parts.
Look for Arthur in Fagin's gang. He first appears in this part during Consider Yourself, when he crawls out of a wheelbarrow, although he's also among the workhouse kids in the first scene.
Sam, like I said, appears a couple of times as the booksellers kid and therefore is one of the few other kids to actually have a line. This is when he comes to Mr. Brownlow's home to return the books. Also, in the robbery scene, he and Chester chat for a while.
Joseph is definitely in the show, but if anyone else spots him, please say so, because I sure didn't.
Lastly, there's the "Tanners team", which is Laurence's group. Dodger in this group is Ross McCormack. Out of the IDA-boys, Alex, Jordan and Gareth are in this group.
Alex is understudy for Laurence and therefore it's pretty safe to say he plays the same parts Jonny and Chester play in the other performances.
Jordan is in Fagin's gang and was supposed to be Charlie, but I heard that he got switched with one of the other boys. Since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't confirm or deny.
Gareth, supposedly, plays the same part Sam does in some of the other performances. Again, since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't say if this is true or not.
Back in May I already bought tickets for two performances, Monday 19 Jan and Tuesday 20 Jan. I kinda presumed kids wouldn't play two shows in a row, because that's what I'm used to over here. So I figured this would mean I got to see at least two different boys. I soon learned this wasn't true, and the same kids play roughly three shows in a row.
So on day 1, Harry was my Oliver. Then I didn't know which "team" was Harry's, so I started to play "spot the Oliver" the moment the show started. We were on row T, which isn't all THAT far back, but it's also not quite close, so I had to use the binoculars, but found Chester almost immediately And was all excited about that, haha.
Harry did a very good job playing the part, although to me he still just doesn't LOOK all that Oliver-esk. However, he did really well portraying the fear, the sadness, the happiness and everything Oliver is.
Arthur in Fagin's gang is absolutely wonderful. This part just suits him so well. He made a lot of progress in the dance department. He just had the awwww-factor.
Chester in all the several parts is really just one of the many kids on stage in this show, which makes sense, since he's understudying Harry, so he can't have one of the bigger parts. However, I did manage to notice him every time he was on and he's still very obviously one of the better dancers. The blue dresslike uniform in Who Will Buy is very sugary sweet, and I think no self-respecting 12 yo boy would want to be caught dead in that, haha. Ah well, it did fit the scene, the time and all that, so all for show business, I suppose.
Sam does a good job as the booksellers kid, and (maybe it's the blondeness) is just one of those kids you notice. I know there've been many comments about Sam in the past and not all good, but seeing him on stage now, even in such a small part, there's no denying the kid does have stage-presence.
Joseph, like I said, I didn't see him, tbh. Maybe he just was absent during this performance, or maybe he just didn't catch my eye. Shame though, I always liked wee Joseph...
Dodger, Eric, is worth a mention, because he's just amazing. I was blown away by his performance and to think the boy is only 10! He just owned the show imo.
Another funny fact about this show is that Charlotte Spencer, who plays Bet, used to play Jane Banks in Mary Poppins, when Harry played her younger brother Michael.
The show in itself was just stunning. Rowan Atkinson IS Fagin and Jodie does wonderful as Nancy. I was so pleased to see Sarah And it's just everything, the actors, the decor (OMG the decor ), the songs, the choreography, the way everything flows together. Maybe it's because I invested so much emotionally in this show, but I haven't seen anything this good in years tbh. If ever.
So, the next day, Tuesday, I went back. I had the same cast as the day before, but we sat much closer this time, so "spot the Oliver" became somewhat easier
Still amazing, all of it.
Then, I wanted to go a third time, that had been the plan all along, because I wanted to see all three boys be Oliver during my week in London. However, I knew now, all three wasn't going to happen, so I was going to have to settle for seeing two. I went back on Thursday and this time Gwion was Oliver.
It wasn't easy to get tickets at the last minute, but Drury Lane still had one of the boxes available.
Now these seats are quite luxurious because they're almost private and you're very close to the stage. On the other hand, because you're all the way to the side of the theatre, you also miss certain things happening on stage, because you can't see the whole stage. It is however a great spot to see facial expressions
I got a really good look at Jonny throughout the show, who was really giving it his all. Made me smile.
Gwion, as expected, made the whole theatre go "awww" and I thought he gave a really really strong performance. They did train him to speak with less of an accent, although it's so cute that in words like "beautiful" and "wonderful" you can still hear the "Welshness". And wonderful he was. In both singing and acting he was very strong and confident.
Robert Madge played Dodger in this performance. I don't know if this was the same kid who was Dodger in CIN, I have to see CIN again, but he did look really familiar, I kinda think I saw him in the Oliver auditions. He was a good and funny Dodger. Very well casted.
Tamsin Carroll played Nancy this night and even though she was really good, tbh, I think Jodie does a better job.
I left London two days later feeling kinda sorry I hadn't seen Laurence perform, since he was actually my favourite out of the three, and I'm now thinking of going back for a weekend or so to see Laurence (and Alex, Gareth and Jordan) as well. If I can figure out when he's on, that is. I am, however, happy to have seen so many of the IDA boys again. I've missed them!”
“Looooooong read ahead, be prepared
I've seen the show!! Three times so far even, haha.
I think a lot of what I'm about to say can already be found somewhere on the web or even on this forum, but tbh I cba with searching for it, and since this topic was my home all along, I'll just post it all here. I'm stubborn that way.
First things first: as we all know the kids are divided into three groups. All the boys, except for Kwayedza, have a part in the show, although they are all divided over the three groups.
It seems to be that every group of kids is connected to one particular Oliver and one Dodger. If this is always the case, then the combinations are as stated below.
There is the "Farthings team", which is Gwion's group. Dodger in this group is Robert Madge. Out of the IDA-boys, only Jonny is in this group. Making him Gwion's understudy. When you go to see the show and Gwion is your Oliver that night, look for Jonny:
- In the first scene (Workhouse, Food Glorious Food) on the far left of the stage (your left, when you're looking at the stage).
- During "Consider Yourself" he'll appear briefly close to the end of the song on the right of the stage and does a hand clap game kinda thing with another kid.
- After "Be Back Soon" there's the robbery and Jonny will come on stage at the beginning of that in a grey outfit, talk to the bookseller's kid for a while and then walk off.
- During "Who Will Buy" he's in the boys' class in the blue dresslike outfits which cracked me up tbh.
- Close to the end there's the chase and he's there with one of the women, but he's easy to miss in this part.
Then there's the "Shiillings team". This is Harry's group. Dodger in this group is Eric Dibb-Fuller. Lots of the IDA-boys are in this group. Chester, who's understudy for Harry, Arthur, who's in Fagin's gang (and is just too cute, but I'll get to that later), Sam, who play's the bookseller's kid throughout most of the show and Joseph, who I really tried to spot, but tbh, didn't see throughout the whole show. When you go to see the show and Harry is your Oliver, look for Chester in the exact same parts Jonny plays in the other group. I've seen them both, so I know they play the same parts.
Look for Arthur in Fagin's gang. He first appears in this part during Consider Yourself, when he crawls out of a wheelbarrow, although he's also among the workhouse kids in the first scene.
Sam, like I said, appears a couple of times as the booksellers kid and therefore is one of the few other kids to actually have a line. This is when he comes to Mr. Brownlow's home to return the books. Also, in the robbery scene, he and Chester chat for a while.
Joseph is definitely in the show, but if anyone else spots him, please say so, because I sure didn't.
Lastly, there's the "Tanners team", which is Laurence's group. Dodger in this group is Ross McCormack. Out of the IDA-boys, Alex, Jordan and Gareth are in this group.
Alex is understudy for Laurence and therefore it's pretty safe to say he plays the same parts Jonny and Chester play in the other performances.
Jordan is in Fagin's gang and was supposed to be Charlie, but I heard that he got switched with one of the other boys. Since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't confirm or deny.
Gareth, supposedly, plays the same part Sam does in some of the other performances. Again, since I haven't seen this group perform, I can't say if this is true or not.
Back in May I already bought tickets for two performances, Monday 19 Jan and Tuesday 20 Jan. I kinda presumed kids wouldn't play two shows in a row, because that's what I'm used to over here. So I figured this would mean I got to see at least two different boys. I soon learned this wasn't true, and the same kids play roughly three shows in a row.
So on day 1, Harry was my Oliver. Then I didn't know which "team" was Harry's, so I started to play "spot the Oliver" the moment the show started. We were on row T, which isn't all THAT far back, but it's also not quite close, so I had to use the binoculars, but found Chester almost immediately
And was all excited about that, haha.Harry did a very good job playing the part, although to me he still just doesn't LOOK all that Oliver-esk. However, he did really well portraying the fear, the sadness, the happiness and everything Oliver is.
Arthur in Fagin's gang is absolutely wonderful. This part just suits him so well. He made a lot of progress in the dance department. He just had the awwww-factor.
Chester in all the several parts is really just one of the many kids on stage in this show, which makes sense, since he's understudying Harry, so he can't have one of the bigger parts. However, I did manage to notice him every time he was on and he's still very obviously one of the better dancers. The blue dresslike uniform in Who Will Buy is very sugary sweet, and I think no self-respecting 12 yo boy would want to be caught dead in that, haha. Ah well, it did fit the scene, the time and all that, so all for show business, I suppose.
Sam does a good job as the booksellers kid, and (maybe it's the blondeness) is just one of those kids you notice. I know there've been many comments about Sam in the past and not all good, but seeing him on stage now, even in such a small part, there's no denying the kid does have stage-presence.
Joseph, like I said, I didn't see him, tbh. Maybe he just was absent during this performance, or maybe he just didn't catch my eye. Shame though, I always liked wee Joseph...
Dodger, Eric, is worth a mention, because he's just amazing. I was blown away by his performance and to think the boy is only 10! He just owned the show imo.
Another funny fact about this show is that Charlotte Spencer, who plays Bet, used to play Jane Banks in Mary Poppins, when Harry played her younger brother Michael.
The show in itself was just stunning. Rowan Atkinson IS Fagin and Jodie does wonderful as Nancy. I was so pleased to see Sarah
And it's just everything, the actors, the decor (OMG the decor ), the songs, the choreography, the way everything flows together. Maybe it's because I invested so much emotionally in this show, but I haven't seen anything this good in years tbh. If ever.So, the next day, Tuesday, I went back
. I had the same cast as the day before, but we sat much closer this time, so "spot the Oliver" became somewhat easier Still amazing, all of it.
Then, I wanted to go a third time, that had been the plan all along, because I wanted to see all three boys be Oliver during my week in London. However, I knew now, all three wasn't going to happen, so I was going to have to settle for seeing two. I went back on Thursday and this time Gwion was Oliver.
It wasn't easy to get tickets at the last minute, but Drury Lane still had one of the boxes available.
Now these seats are quite luxurious because they're almost private and you're very close to the stage. On the other hand, because you're all the way to the side of the theatre, you also miss certain things happening on stage, because you can't see the whole stage. It is however a great spot to see facial expressions
I got a really good look at Jonny throughout the show, who was really giving it his all. Made me smile.
Gwion, as expected, made the whole theatre go "awww" and I thought he gave a really really strong performance. They did train him to speak with less of an accent, although it's so cute that in words like "beautiful" and "wonderful" you can still hear the "Welshness"
. And wonderful he was. In both singing and acting he was very strong and confident.Robert Madge played Dodger in this performance. I don't know if this was the same kid who was Dodger in CIN, I have to see CIN again, but he did look really familiar, I kinda think I saw him in the Oliver auditions. He was a good and funny Dodger. Very well casted.
Tamsin Carroll played Nancy this night and even though she was really good, tbh, I think Jodie does a better job.
I left London two days later feeling kinda sorry I hadn't seen Laurence perform, since he was actually my favourite out of the three, and I'm now thinking of going back for a weekend or so to see Laurence (and Alex, Gareth and Jordan) as well. If I can figure out when he's on, that is. I am, however, happy to have seen so many of the IDA boys again. I've missed them!
”
Hi Chaperone,
Long time no speak
THanks for posting that.
I hope to be going to see it,but need to book tickets.
Just to confirm Robert was the Dodger from CIN,he is excellent! Actually I've heard all the Dodger's are!
Have you heard about Laurence? He's leaving in March. Apparently.
Just saying that I went to see this last Friday night (23rd) and it was Laurence who was playing Oliver.
Chaperone, you say that Jordan was supposed to play Charlie here, but may have been switched. I cannot definitely confirm this, but Charlie didn't seem to remind me of Jordan, so I'd be inclinded to say that what you suspect is true.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to spot any of the other Oliver though (I wasn't really looking for them).
However, the perfromance was great. Laurence was decent and did a good job. The Dodger was fantastic.
I thought Rowan Atkinson as Fagin was hilarious.
But Jodie was superb. The way she was with the kids - fantastic. Her singing really filled the stage when it needed to and her acting was suprisingly good (not that I thought she'd be bad, but she was better at acting than expected).
Chaperone, you say that Jordan was supposed to play Charlie here, but may have been switched. I cannot definitely confirm this, but Charlie didn't seem to remind me of Jordan, so I'd be inclinded to say that what you suspect is true.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to spot any of the other Oliver though (I wasn't really looking for them).
However, the perfromance was great. Laurence was decent and did a good job. The Dodger was fantastic.
I thought Rowan Atkinson as Fagin was hilarious.
But Jodie was superb. The way she was with the kids - fantastic. Her singing really filled the stage when it needed to and her acting was suprisingly good (not that I thought she'd be bad, but she was better at acting than expected).
Originally Posted by JKFan:
“Have you heard about Laurence? He's leaving in March. Apparently.”
“Have you heard about Laurence? He's leaving in March. Apparently.”
I heard all the kids' contracts are up in March. Although maybe some get extended. I'm going back in February though, so hopefully I will get to see Laurence perform.
Anyway, it is kinda weird that they went through ALL that, IDA, months of rehearsals and all for being on stage for such a short period of time.
@ Evil Eye, thanks for that, I was trying to work out how the kids were kinda scheduled. Turns out, Gwion only played two shows that week then. Unless he played again on Saturday night, which would mean Laurence only played two shows that week.
Does anyone know if the kids are allowed to perform two shows a day?
Originally Posted by Evil Eye:
“Just saying that I went to see this last Friday night (23rd) and it was Laurence who was playing Oliver.
Chaperone, you say that Jordan was supposed to play Charlie here, but may have been switched. I cannot definitely confirm this, but Charlie didn't seem to remind me of Jordan, so I'd be inclinded to say that what you suspect is true.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to spot any of the other Oliver though (I wasn't really looking for them).
However, the perfromance was great. Laurence was decent and did a good job. The Dodger was fantastic.
I thought Rowan Atkinson as Fagin was hilarious.
But Jodie was superb. The way she was with the kids - fantastic. Her singing really filled the stage when it needed to and her acting was suprisingly good (not that I thought she'd be bad, but she was better at acting than expected).”
“Just saying that I went to see this last Friday night (23rd) and it was Laurence who was playing Oliver.
Chaperone, you say that Jordan was supposed to play Charlie here, but may have been switched. I cannot definitely confirm this, but Charlie didn't seem to remind me of Jordan, so I'd be inclinded to say that what you suspect is true.
Unfortunately I wasn't able to spot any of the other Oliver though (I wasn't really looking for them).
However, the perfromance was great. Laurence was decent and did a good job. The Dodger was fantastic.
I thought Rowan Atkinson as Fagin was hilarious.
But Jodie was superb. The way she was with the kids - fantastic. Her singing really filled the stage when it needed to and her acting was suprisingly good (not that I thought she'd be bad, but she was better at acting than expected).”
That's correct,Jordan plays another role,as Daniel Ferrari-Lane plays the role of Charlie Bates
From what I can gather each Oliver does 2 days a week rather than 2 shows. Oliver A does Monday and Tuesday, Oliver B does both shows on Wednesday and Thursday night and Oliver C does Friday and both shows on Saturday. The following week it (usually) goes Oliver C on Monday/Tuesday, Oliver A on Wednesday/Thursday, Oliver B Friday/Saturday, and so on.
I heard that Laurence has had a growth spurt and is now too tall so he won't be extending. Harry is slightly smaller but the contingency plan is that there will be a fourth Oliver trained up to cover sick days and poised to takeover at a moment's notice when Harry is either too tall or his voice breaks. Then they will revert to 3 boys. Not sure if it's true though. If Laurence is too tall it's not looking good for either Chester or Alex being promoted, not sure about Jonny. Maybe Arthur?
I heard that Laurence has had a growth spurt and is now too tall so he won't be extending. Harry is slightly smaller but the contingency plan is that there will be a fourth Oliver trained up to cover sick days and poised to takeover at a moment's notice when Harry is either too tall or his voice breaks. Then they will revert to 3 boys. Not sure if it's true though. If Laurence is too tall it's not looking good for either Chester or Alex being promoted, not sure about Jonny. Maybe Arthur?
Originally Posted by iss1234:
“From what I can gather each Oliver does 2 days a week rather than 2 shows. Oliver A does Monday and Tuesday, Oliver B does both shows on Wednesday and Thursday night and Oliver C does Friday and both shows on Saturday. The following week it (usually) goes Oliver C on Monday/Tuesday, Oliver A on Wednesday/Thursday, Oliver B Friday/Saturday, and so on.
I heard that Laurence has had a growth spurt and is now too tall so he won't be extending. Harry is slightly smaller but the contingency plan is that there will be a fourth Oliver trained up to cover sick days and poised to takeover at a moment's notice when Harry is either too tall or his voice breaks. Then they will revert to 3 boys. Not sure if it's true though. If Laurence is too tall it's not looking good for either Chester or Alex being promoted, not sure about Jonny. Maybe Arthur?”
“From what I can gather each Oliver does 2 days a week rather than 2 shows. Oliver A does Monday and Tuesday, Oliver B does both shows on Wednesday and Thursday night and Oliver C does Friday and both shows on Saturday. The following week it (usually) goes Oliver C on Monday/Tuesday, Oliver A on Wednesday/Thursday, Oliver B Friday/Saturday, and so on.
I heard that Laurence has had a growth spurt and is now too tall so he won't be extending. Harry is slightly smaller but the contingency plan is that there will be a fourth Oliver trained up to cover sick days and poised to takeover at a moment's notice when Harry is either too tall or his voice breaks. Then they will revert to 3 boys. Not sure if it's true though. If Laurence is too tall it's not looking good for either Chester or Alex being promoted, not sure about Jonny. Maybe Arthur?”
Thanks for that
And idk, I think Arthur is pretty content in his current role. I also think this role suits him better than the role of Oliver. If Laurence is too tall then I think Alex will be too, since he looks like the tallest out of the three understudy boys in the programme pictures. However, both Chester and Jonny are also getting pretty tall. Having seen them both on stage, I can say they were both amongst the taller boys in the group.
Originally Posted by Chaperone:
“Thanks for that
And idk, I think Arthur is pretty content in his current role. I also think this role suits him better than the role of Oliver.”
“Thanks for that
And idk, I think Arthur is pretty content in his current role. I also think this role suits him better than the role of Oliver.”
I haven't seen him, Chaperone, but I can well imagine. Still think we'll see Arthur as Dodger yet.
A real shame that the I'd Do Anything boys are all getting too big, or the likely suspects for Oliver - Alex, Jonny and Chester - are anyway. Surely something could be done? Cuban heals for the rest of the cast perhaps? Feeling a bit sorry for Laurence. Know it could have been worse and he did get chosen and he did get to complete his run but still, it's a shame. Hope you manage to get to see him in February.
My friend went to see Oliver! on Friday night, Gwion was her Oliver and she said he was incredibly cute.
I'd quite like to go and see it, though I wasn't overly keen on any of the final 3 Olivers. I'd want to see Harry the most out of the three of them.
I'm hoping that one day we'll see Chester or Jonny as Billy in Billy Elliot because I can imagine the two of them doing a fantastic job in the role.
I'd quite like to go and see it, though I wasn't overly keen on any of the final 3 Olivers.
I'd want to see Harry the most out of the three of them. I'm hoping that one day we'll see Chester or Jonny as Billy in Billy Elliot because I can imagine the two of them doing a fantastic job in the role.
Yeah, apparently its been confirmed that Laurence is leaving in March
And....
Gareth is too
and.....so are ALL of the other IDA boys except Gwion, Harry, Alex and Jonny.
Its so awful that they went through all that process of IDA and months of training just to have their contracts end after less than four months. Or basically thats what I've been told anyway.
I know someone related to Chester used to be on this forum, maybe she would no more about which IDA boys are staying.
I just wish I had the oppurtunity to meet all the boys myself cos I thought they were all brilliant, every single one of them
And....
Gareth is too
and.....so are ALL of the other IDA boys except Gwion, Harry, Alex and Jonny.
Its so awful
that they went through all that process of IDA and months of training just to have their contracts end after less than four months. Or basically thats what I've been told anyway.I know someone related to Chester used to be on this forum, maybe she would no more about which IDA boys are staying.
I just wish I had the oppurtunity to meet all the boys myself cos I thought they were all brilliant, every single one of them
Its been a while since anyone posted in this thread but just thinking back to the Olivers, only Gwion is now in the production. All the others have gone. I wish all of the them every success in life and I am sure we'll see them all again soon!
I went to see the sound of music tonight, we had Arthur playing Kurt...he's come on so much, he was really good, it was fab
Apparently Gwion is back doing two shows per week. I'm not sure how true this is, but he was pictured as Oliver on the new Nancy's opening night
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