Oliver

This year's School Production was the timeless classic
"Oliver".

SYNOPSIS OF OLIVER!
SETTING: London, 1850.
The curtain opens with Oliver Twist working at an orphanage. The boys sing "Food, glorious food" as they wait for supper. They are all hungry after their one cup of gruel and Oliver asks for more.

Mr. and Mrs. Bumble sing"Oliver!", and Oliver is a "Boy for sale" after being upset by his impudence. Oliver is bought by Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker. Saved from one enemy in Mr. Bumble, Oliver's new enemy is Noah Claypole. A fight between them leads to Oliver being locked up as he sings the tender "Where is love". Oliver runs away where he soon meets the Artful Dodger who sings "Consider yourself ". He is introduced to Fagin and his boys and is taught that "You've got to pick a pocket or two".

Fagin sneaks out late in the evening to meet Bill Sikes at The Three Cripples. Despite the obvious drawbacks of living in the slum, Nancy assures us that "It's a fine life". The following morning Nancy and Bet arrives and Oliver gets to know them during the song "I'd do anything", after which Fagin sends the boys out on the streets hoping that they'll "Be back soon". Well, they aren't, at least not Oliver. He's been arrested for looking guilty when Dodger stole a wallet.

But Oliver is a lucky kid; he's proved innocent and the old man who got robbed, Mr. Brownlow, takes him home with him. In the morning the whole street joins Oliver in the question of "Who will buy". But plans are being made for Oliver's reunion with his old friends. Sikes efficiently persuades Nancy to help him with the task, rending Nancy singing "As long as he needs me". Fagin is "Reviewing the situation", thinking about changing his way of life. Nancy shortly realises that Oliver's life is in danger as long as he stays with the thieves and she contacts Mr. Brownlow, who in the meantime has found out that Oliver is the son of his long lost niece.

She promises she'll take Oliver to him, and she almost succeeds, diverting Sikes attention with the little ditty "Oom- pah- pah". When Sikes figures out what's going on, he kills Nancy. In desperation he takes Oliver with him, trying to escape over the roofs, but is killed himself by a police officer.
Fagin and the Dodger review the situation once again and decide that together they might be able to retire respectable. Oliver finally finds his real family.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Role	Voice Type	Age Range
Oliver Twist - Sweet and innocent workhouse boy	Soprano	9 - 13
Fagin - A con man who trains children to be pickpockets.	Baritone	50 - 75
Artful Dodger - A troubled youth	Soprano	9 - 16
Nancy - A cockney girl with a warm heart.	Alto	22 - 32
Bill Sykes - A villain.	Baritone	30 - 50
Mr. Bumble The man who runs the workhouse.	Baritone	38 - 50
Widow Corney	Soprano	38 - 50
Mr. Sowerberry - The undertaker.	Baritone	45 - 60
Mrs. Sowerberry - Mr. Sowerberry’s wife.	Soprano	40 - 60
Mr. Brownlow - A kind and wealthy older gentleman.	N/A	60 - 85
Bet - Nancy’s loyal friend.	Alto	20 - 28
Charlotte - Mr. Sowerberry’s daughter.	N/A	13 - 20
Noah Claypole - A tall bully who is Mr. Sowerberry’s apprentice.	N/A	13 - 20
Mrs. Bedwin - Mr. Brownlow’s friendly housekeeper.	Soprano	38 - 50
Dr. Grimwig	N/A	30 - 85
Old Sally	N/A	60 - 85
Charley Bates	N/A	N/A
Workhouse Children	ALL	9 - 16
Fagin's Gang	ALL	9 - 16
Ensemble	ALL	ALL

LIST OF SCENES
SETTING: The place is London, the time 1850.

ACT ONE

Scene 1	The Workhouse	Early Evening
Scene 2	The Workhouse Parlor	Later (into Street)
Scene 3	The Undertaker's	Same Day
Scene 4	The Undertaker's	Next Morning
Scene 5	Paddington Green	Morning, a Week Later
Scene 6	The Thieves' Kitchen	Later (into Street)

ACT TWO

Scene 1	The "Three Cripples", a Public House in Clerkenwell	The Following Evening
Scene 2	The Brownlows' Morning Room	Two Weeks Later
Scene 3	The Thieves' Kitchen	Ending in Street Area
Scene 4	The Workhouse	A Few Days Later
Scene 5	The Brownlows' House	(into Street)
Scene 6	London Bridge	Midnight (using Street Area)

List of Musical Numbers

ACT ONE

1	Overture	Orchestra
2	Food, Glorious Food	Boys, Oliver
3	Oliver	Boys, Mr. Bumble, Widow Corney
4	I Shall Scream	Widow Corney, Mr. Bumble
5	Boy For Sale	Mr. Bumble
6	That's Your Funeral	Mr. Sowerberry, Mrs. Sowerberry,Mr. Bumble
7	Where Is Love?	Oliver
8	Consider Yourself	The Artful Dodger, Oliver, Boys, Chorus
9	Pick A Pocket Or Two	Fagin, Boys
10	It's A Fine Life	Nancy , Bet, Boys
11	I'd Do Anything	The Artful Dodger, Nancy, Oliver, Bet, Fagin, Boys
12	Be Back Soon	Fagin, The Artful Dodger, Oliver, Boys

ACT TWO

13	Oom-Pah-Pah	Nancy , Bet, Chorus
14	My Name	Bill Sikes
15	As Long As He Needs Me	Nancy
16	Where Is Love? (Reprise)	Mrs. Bedwin
17	Who Will Buy?	Oliver, Street Criers, Chorus
18	It's A Fine Life (Reprise)	Nancy, Bill Sikes, Fagin, The Artful Dodger
19	Reviewing The Situation	Fagin
20	As Long As He Needs Me (Reprise)	Nancy
21	Reviewing The Situation (Reprise)	Fagin
22	Finale	Company

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Farringdon Community Sports College

Oliver

This year's School Production was the timeless classic "Oliver".

This year's School Production was the timeless classic
"Oliver".