Summary

A Leeds Playhouse production in co-production with Ramps on the Moon.

Born into poverty and misfortune, Oliver Twist escapes the workhouse for a life of adventure where he joins Artful Dodger, Fagin and their mischievous gang of pick pockets. But the enjoyment is short lived as he falls under the influence of the vicious Bill Sykes.

This bold, brutal and beautiful new version of Oliver Twist sends you on a dark adventure through the twisted streets of London. Adapted by award-winning playwright Bryony Lavery, every performance of Oliver Twist will feature the use of integrated creative sign language, audio description and captioning.

Oliver Twist is in association with Ramps On The Moon. Now in its fourth year, this pioneering initiative from seven major UK theatre companies is committed to putting D/deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work.

Age Guidance: 11+

Running Time

Act 1: 1 hr 13mins Act 2: 45mins

Cast

  • Stephen Collins

    Stephen Collins

    Bobchinsky & Ensemble

    Stephen, from East London, incorporates signing, speaking, devising and sign songs in most of his acting work.

    Birmingham Repertory Theatre credits include: The Threepenny Opera.

    Theatre credits include: Reasons To Be Cheerful The Musical and The Iron Man (Graeae Theatre Company); Love’s Labour’s Lost (Deafinitely Theatre/Shakespeare’s Globe); Hansel & Gretel (Red Earth Theatre/Derby Theatre) and The Winter’s Tale (Taking Flight).

    Television credits include: Smirnoff Commercial (Bold Company).

    Film credits include: Dawn Of The Deaf (Shadowhouse); 4 and The Fingerspellers (BSLBT); How To Mug A Deaf Person (Greensville) and Nonsense (short).

  • Caroline Parker

    Caroline Parker

    Meg Long

    Recent credits include: Fittings Multimedia Arts – Vogue: The Unlimited House of Krip (Vogue Ball 2017, Liverpool); The Tin Soldier (Festival Theatre, Edinburgh) Miranda and Caliban: The Making of a Monster (Birds of Paradise Theatre Company/Hong Kong/Glasgow).

    Television credits include: Doctors; Murphy’s Law; Switch (BBC); Stuart a Life Backwards (BBC/HBO).

    In the cabaret circuit, Caroline performs in her unique style of signed songs. She recently gave a TEDx talk entitled Singing Without Her Voice. At the 2012 Paralympic Opening Ceremony she signed the closing number ‘I am What I Am’ alongside Beverly Knight.

    Caroline also does the stand-up comedy circuit and is a member of Abnormally Funny People. In 2015 Caroline won three Best Actress awards for her role Mabel Morgan in the BSLBT Zone film If I Don’t Lose, I’ll Lose at the Cenedeaf III Rome Film Festival, Clin d’Oeil and Cannes Disability Film Festival 2016.

  • Clare Louise English

    Clare Louise English

    Christine

  • Katie Erich

    Katie Erich

  • Rebekah Hill

    Rebekah Hill

  • Nadeem Islam

    Nadeem Islam

  • Georgia Jackson

    Georgia Jackson

  • Steph Lacey

    Steph Lacey

  • Jack Lord

    Jack Lord

  • Brooklyn Melvin

    Brooklyn Melvin

  • Craig Painting

    Craig Painting

  • Mitesh Soni

    Mitesh Soni

  • Benjamin Wilson

    Benjamin Wilson

Genre

Play

Suitability

All

Performances / Venues

Date

Venue, Location

Tickets

February 28, 2020 to March 21, 2020
Leeds Playhouse, Leeds
March 25, 2020 to April 4, 2020
New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich
April 16, 2020 to April 25, 2020
Nottingham Playhouse, Nottingham
April 29, 2020 to May 9, 2020
Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham
May 13, 2020 to May 23, 2020
Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
May 28, 2020 to June 6, 2020
Theatre Royal Stratford East, Stratford

Reviews

'It is a production that made me realise how much of the time a sighted, hearing audience is experiencing only two- dimensional theatre.'

Rated 0 Stars

The Guardian

'This buccaneering production is a visual feast.’

Rated 0 Stars

The Times

'Cleverly, British sign language is made the secret argot of Fagin’s gang – presided over by a roistering Caroline Parker, got up with Vivienne Westwood swagger in spiky hair and enormous crimson dress.'

Rated 0 Stars

The Observer

'This really is Oliver Twist as you've never seen it before.'

Rated 0 Stars

What's On Stage

'Big, powerful, entertaining and moving.’

Rated 0 Stars

British Theatre Guide

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