Audiences were completely blown away by the spellbinding performances from our incredible Oliver! cast as they wowed a packed house at The Haymarket Theatre.
Gemma Reeks, Head of Performing Arts, announced the exciting plans to take on this beloved masterpiece at the end of the summer term 2023 – by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh, an amateur production, licensed by Music Theatre International.
One of the most well-known and loved of all British musicals, Oliver! follows the tale of a young orphan who finds himself in a complex and often dark world of deception, abduction and criminal behaviour. This epic story is packed with a rich array of scoundrels and scallywags but through adversity Oliver triumphs, with a little help from some kind-hearted characters. With classic songs like ‘Food Glorious Food’, ‘As Long As He Needs Me’, and ‘Where Is Love’, this was a show not to be missed.
After tense auditions in September 2023, a 50 strong cast of pupils from 1st Form to Upper Sixth took on the mammoth task of rehearsing for three performances to be performed at The Haymarket, Basingstoke on 24th and 25th January 2024. Miss Reeks was ably supported in this process by a brilliant team; Mr Parker, Miss Tracy, Miss Bastiman, Mr Sene and Mrs Hearn. Not only did the Directors require a host of talented actors, they also needed brilliant dancers, musicians and a superb technical team to bring the whole production together! Any successful production is truly a team effort and a show’s success depends on the commitment and skill of all the teams, working invisibly to help the Director bring their vision to life and to enable the actors to realise their interpretation of the play.
After five demanding months of rehearsals it was finally ‘show time’. Our parents, pupils, staff and guests could not wait to see what these brilliant performers, both actors and musicians, and our talented tech crew, had in store for us! Audiences could not have been more excited, as every seat sold out within days of tickets going on sale. As our guests took their seats and the lights went down, they were not disappointed!
The cast were brilliantly supported by our fantastic tech crew, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes (photos and acknowledgments in the programme below), making every moment run like clockwork. The whole show would not have been possible without our talented pupil musicians, accompanied by our awesome music staff, who created so many moments of joy throughout every performance.
As the final curtain fell, delighted guests were overheard effervescing:
