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St Michael’s Prep served up a bowlful of talent in a production of Oliver!  last week that left the audience hoping the production will ‘be back soon’.

Performed by pupils in Years 5 to 8, the musical production took place across four evenings following many months of hard work, rehearsals and behind the scenes preparation from a cast of 64, a crew of 30 and a 10-piece band conducted by St Michael’s Director of Music, Gordon Baird.

From the opening number of Food Glorious Food to the curtain call, audience members were amazed by the vocal talent of principal characters, as well as the projection and harmonies from the ensemble cast in numbers such as Consider Yourself and Who Will Buy?. 

For pupils such as Tristan H, who played Fagin, having the opportunity to play such iconic roles and sing some musical theatre classics was a pleasure. Tristan commented: "When I saw my name next to Fagin on the cast list, I couldn’t believe I’d been given the part. I was so nervous to take on such a big character but I’m so glad I did it. I loved performing the show and felt such a buzz at the end of each performance.”

Along with the many musical numbers arranged by St Michael’s Director of Music, Gordon Baird, the children told the charming Dickens' story in such a sincere and captivating way. The children were led under the direction of St Michael’s Head of Drama, Alan Powell, who took his final bow with this production after 10 years at St Michael’s before he relocates to Scotland in the summer.

Director of St Michael's Oliver! and Head of Drama, Mr Powell, said: “It’s been a wonderful finale to directing at St Michael’s and I’m extremely proud of, and grateful to, all the children, musicians and staff who have worked so tirelessly to bring the show to life. I hope they will all remember this experience forever - what a spectacular show!”

Jess, Isabelle and Isla, who played the Sowerberry family, commented on what an inspiration Mr Powell has been to them: “Mr Powell is the best Director – he really gets stuck in with showing us how to be the best performers that we can be, always joining us on stage during rehearsals to demonstrate exactly how we should deliver our lines. He is such an inspiration to us and makes being in the school productions such a special experience.”

Oliver! tells the story of a young orphan who is sold to a funeral parlour from a workhouse after he asks for a second serving of a meal. After running away from Mr and Mrs Sowerberry to London, he meets the Artful Dodger who introduces him to the criminal lives of Fagin and his gang which brings further trouble to him. After taking part in a peer-pressured theft, Oliver eventually finds his fortune in London when he meets Mr Brownlow, who turns out to be his grandfather.

To guide the audience through the story, St Michael's Jude Caswall sourced and created eye-catching and detailed costumes which were very accurate for the Victorian era. Combined with the sets and scene changes of the workhouse, funeral parlour and streets of London, the audience were immersed in the world of Dickens.

An audience member commented: “What an absolutely breathtaking production! Every element—from the performances to the costumes—was flawless and the cast’s talent is truly extraordinary. It’s amazing to see such skill and passion in young performers.”

The story of Oliver! includes a variety of roles including the complex character of Nancy and the cheeky Artful Dodger. Clara H and Arthur S, who played these roles respectively, both portrayed their characters with charm and professionalism. Both actors thoroughly enjoyed developing their skills throughout the production process. 

Commenting on what ‘Nancy’ meant to her, Clara said: “Playing the role of Nancy was an amazing experience. I have always taken part in drama opportunities at St Michael’s so it was really rewarding to play this big part in my final year here. I enjoyed using a cockney accent and improving my acting skills further with some challenging scenes.”

Arthur added: “Dodger was such a fun part to play! I loved my time performing in the show and the community that it brought together. My favourite scenes were Consider Yourself and the final section of the show. The last performance of the run – when everyone gave their absolute all – will always be a great memory for me.” 

Commenting on the high standard of production, an audience member said: “We honestly could have been in the West End - the directorship, music, props, acting and singing was out of this world! A top class performance!”

Along with the tough issues of the Victorian period which Oliver! demonstrates, the comedic elements where parts of the story rely on clever timings, synchronisation and teamwork, were all executed flawlessly by the cast.

Jess, Izzy and Isla who had to work well as a trio to perform their scene, commented on how important coordination was in the production.

They said: "Performing as a trio was so fun, requiring a lot of synchronisation for our song. Although our characters were serious, we had a lot of comedic moments like squeezing Oliver into the coffin and throwing water over each other. The first time we performed in costume during the dress rehearsal, we felt we could really bring our characters to life.”

Sharing her praise, Councillor Diana Esler of Sevenoaks District Council also added: “Last night’s production was just wonderful. In fact, totally flawless with perfect timing and synchronisation. A delightful evening which we loved as always. It’s a huge credit to you all as to what you can achieve with Prep pupils.”  

Finally, Teddy G, who played the titular role of Oliver, really brought an element of nostalgia to the role for people who are familiar to Mark Lester’s portrayal in the movie. With a sweet voice and an endearing performance, Teddy commented on how much he enjoyed performing the iconic song Where is Love?.

He said: “I loved playing the role of Oliver and especially performing my solo Where is Love?. I entered the dress rehearsal feeling nervous but the audience’s amazing reaction and reviews gave me so much confidence for the performances.”

Congratulations to the cast and crew of Oliver! for an outstanding production.

Review by Chloe Randall, Marketing Officer

A St Michael's Prep Production by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh. Lionel Bart's OLIVER!. Book, Music and Lyrics by LIONEL BART freely adapted from 'Oliver Twist' by Charles Dickens. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.co.uk.