Today marks a glorious 65 years since Oliver!, Lionel Bart’s beloved musical masterpiece, made itself at home in London’s West End. Premiering at Wimbledon Theatre before transferring to the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) on 30 June 1960, it quickly gained a legion of fans. And with an Oscar-winning film adaptation following soon after, Oliver! gave its fans even more to get tucked into. Cementing itself as a theatrical, and cinematic, sensation.
From page to stage
Inspired by Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, the musical brought to life the grime and heart of Victorian London with irresistible charm. Lionel Bart wrote the book, music, and lyrics - well, kind of… Bart did not know how to read or write music, so composer Eric Rogers transcribed the melodies as Lionel hummed them!
Bart’s adaptation was equal parts gritty and heartwarming, pairing tales of poverty and pickpockets with toe-tapping tunes, that even non-musical theatre fans could sing word for word, including; “Consider Yourself,” “Food, Glorious Food,” and “As Long As He Needs Me.”
The production was groundbreaking at the time - Oliver! was one of the first British musicals to rival Broadway imports and proved that homegrown talent could headline the West End. It ran for a staggering 2,618 performances at the New Theatre, setting a then-record for a British musical.
Stars (and almost-stars) in the making
We don’t have any hot sausage and mustard, but we do have a tasty bit of trivia for you: Oscar winner Michael Caine auditioned for the role of Bill Sikes in the original London production - but didn’t get the part. We wonder what happened to him…
The role eventually went to Ron Moody. Moody’s performance became so synonymous with the character that he reprised it in the 1968 Oscar-winning film adaptation. Speaking of the film: it scooped up six Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It remains the only British Musical to pick up the award for Best Picture.
Other notable Fagins include; comedy legend Rowan Atkinson, Olivier nominee Simon Lipkin, two-time Tony nominee Clive Revill, and Oscar winner Ben Kingsly.