CAST LIST OF CHARACTERS (Ages are approximate)
OLIVER TWIST
FAGIN
THE ARTFUL DODGER
BILL SYKES
NANCY (25-35ish)
BET (17-30ish)
MR BUMBLE
MRS CORNEY
MR BROWNLOW
MR SOWERBERRY
MRS SOWERBERRY
CHARLOTTE
NOAH CLAYPOLE
MR GRIMWIG
MRS BEDWIN
OLD SALLY
A workhouse boy about 11 years of age.
Runs training school for young pickpockets.
Fagin's brightest pupil - an undersized 16.
A villain in his prime.
A graduate of Fagin's academy, and Bill's doxy.
Lass in Fagin's establishment idolises Nancy.
A large and pompous Beadle of the workhouse.
A sharp-tongued, domineering widow; the Workhouse Mistress.
An old gentleman of wealth and breeding.
The Undertaker.
Undertakers Wife
Sowerberry’s teenage daughter.
The Undertaker's pimply apprentice.
The Doctor.
The Brownlow's Housekeeper.
A Pauper.
SPOKEN/SUNG AUDITION PIECES FOR MAIN CAST
Please come prepared with a song from Oliver to sing. There are many versions on You Tube. The address
below has soundtracks from the 2009 London version so you can familiarise yourself with the relevant songs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_EQnPoKzLo&list=PL29662C320949315F&index=3
You do not need to provide your own backing track or music as a piano accompanist will be at auditions.
Oliver - Please, sir, I want some more. Please sir, I want some more. (Sings ‘Where Is The Love’)
Fagin (preparing to examine the loot that the young pickpockets have gathered for the day) “I hope you’ve all
been hard at work today, my dears. (Looks at the loot the boys have gathered.) Good boys! Good boys! So,
what’ve you got, Dodger? (Takes wallets from Dodger and examines them.) Hmmm, not as heavy as they might
be. But very nicely made! Yes indeed! Ingenious workman, ain’t he, Oliver? (turns to Charley) And what have
YOU got my dear? (Charley hands him 2 silk handkerchiefs.) Well, they’re very good ones, very! Yellow and
green! (Checks out the embroidery.) We’ll have to pick the intials out with a needle tho’. You’ll need to learn
how to do this too Oliver my dear, won’t he boys? Just do everything that Dodger and Charley do. Make ‘em
your models my dear— especially Dodger.” (Sings ‘Pick a Pocket’)
Nancy/Bet – (telling a lie in a crowd of onlookers to try to convince Oliver to come back with her) “I’ve found
him! Oliver, oh, Oliver! My dear little brother! Where have you been? We’ve been worried out of our heads!
Come home, dear, come home! Oh, I’ve found him, thank goodness gracious heavens, I’ve found him! Oh, he
ran away two weeks ago from his parents who are hard-working respectable people, and went and joined a set
of thieves and bad characters—almost broke his mother’s heart. Please make him come home. Oliver, it’s me!!
It’s me!! See, he knows his sister. He can’t hide that. Oh, make him come home to his mother and father!”
(Sings ‘As Long As He Needs Me’)
The Artful Dodger – (meeting Oliver for the first time in the street and trying to recruit him for Fagin’s
Pickpocket Academy) “I suppose you want some place to sleep tonight, don’t you? Are you accommodated?
(Oliver shakes his head.) Then accommodated you shall be, me old mate. There’s a certain house-and I know a
respectable old gentleman lives there who’ll give you lodgin’s for nothing, and never ask for the change. If I
interduces someone its alright, on account of I happen ter be a pertickler favourite of Mister Fagin. . .that’s his
name—Mister Fagin. My name’s Jack Dawkins – better known among me more hintimate friends as the Artful
Dodger. Come to think of it – I ain’t got no hintimate friends. Still, what’s the difference, me old pork sausage,
you’re coming with me!” (Sings ‘Consider Yourself’)
Mr. Bumble—(talking sternly to Oliver who has locked himself inside a coffin and refuses to come out) “Oliver?
Do you know this here voice Oliver?! And ain’t you afraid of it Oliver?! Ain’t you a-tremblin’ while I speak
Oliver?! It’s not madness madam. It’s meat! Meat, Madam, meat! You’ve overfed him Madam. You’ve raised
an artificial spirit in the boy unbecoming of his station in life. If you’d kept him on gruel madam, this never
would have happened. The only thing that can be done now that I know of is for me to take him back for a day
or so, till he’s a little starved down. I’ll keep him on gruel.” (Sings ‘Boy for Sale’)
Mrs. Sowerberry/Widow Corney (introducing Oliver and getting him some food) “Charlotte! Charlotte! Bring
up some of the cold bits we put out for the dog. It hasn’t been in all day, so it can go without ‘em. I daresay the
boy isn’t too dainty to eat ‘em, are ya boy? Charlotte love, this is the new boy. . .give them to him. (They watch
Oliver hungrily polish off the scraps.) Have you done boy? I’m glad to hear it. C’mon Charlotte. Don’t just stand
there gawking. Now then, Oliver Twist, your bed’s under the counter. You don’t mind sleeping among the
coffins, I suppose? But it doesn’t much matter whether you do or don’t, you can’t sleep nowhere else!” (sings ‘I
Shall Scream’)
Mr Sowerberry -My dear, I have told Mr Bumble that we may consider taking in this boy to help in the shop.
There's an expression of melancholy on his face, which is very interesting. He would make a delightful coffinfollower. I don't mean a regular coffin-follower to attend the grown-ups, but only for the children's practice. It
would be very novel to have a follower in proportion my sweet. (‘Boy for Sale’)
Bill Sikes - Why you old!.. Somebody must find out what's been done, or said. If he hasn't talked yet, there's still
a chance we might get him back - without suspicion. We'll nab him the very moment he dares to step out of that
house. Now who's gonna go? You'll get him back 'ere my girl- unless you want to feel my hands on your throat!
(No singing audition)
Mr Brownlow - Where does he come from? You know I haven't the faintest idea. He was arrested for stealing
my pocket handkerchief. And when the shopkeeper told us what really happened and he was released by the
magistrate, I brought him here to make what amends I could. But I must confess I find myself strangely attached
to the child. He's an orphan (suddenly thoughtful) And yet... (He ponders. puzzled) . .. .It's strange. There's
something in that boy's face .... .I can't explain it, but...somewhere I seem to have seen him before ...
somewhere a long time ago. (No singing audition)
Charlotte -Noah, I saved a nice little bit of bacon for you from master's breakfast. Oliver, pull up a chair for Mr
Noah and then take them bits and then take them bits and go over in the comer and eat 'em. And make haste,
'cos they'll want you to mind the shop. D'you hear. (No singing audition)
Noah Claypole - Better not say anything more see!The cheek of it - the workhouse cheek of it! (NOAH curls up
his nose in disgust) Yer know, Work'us, it can't be helped now, and of course, yer couldn't help it then, and I'm
very sorry for it, and I'm sure we all are, and pity yer very much. But yer must know work'us, your mother was a
regular right down bad 'un. And it's a good thing she died when she did or she'd have been transported to
Australaylia, or hung from a gibbet as like as not! (No singing audition)