Bishop Heber High School to stage hit musical Oliver!

Feb 6 2009 by David Norbury, Chester Chronicle

Bishop Heber High School to stage hit musical Oliver!

IT’S a huge hit on Drury Lane and it’s on its way to a rural high school.

Rowan Atkinson is helping to pack ‘em in at the Theatre Royal but fans of one of Britain’s best loved musicals will be able to catch Lionel Bart’s ever popular Oliver! nearer to home when the show takes to the boards at Bishop Heber High in Malpas next month (March).

Rehearsals for the show are in full swing with director Stephen Latham having started work on the production in summer last year.

Auditions were held for key roles and casting of Dickens’s timeless characters took place ahead of the start of the autumn term.

Since then the cast have been learning their lines and rehearsing parts and choreographer Hannah Skelton has been working up the dance routines.

Music teacher Cotta Jones has been hitting the high notes with the fabulous songs while the school’s art department is hard at work on the stage scenery and props.

Almost 80 youngsters from throughout the school are in the show which will be staged in the main school hall during the week beginning March 23.

The talented cast list includes Oliver Dodd as Oliver, Jacob Kendall as the Artful Dodger, Stephen Monahan as Fagin and Lauren Wilson as Nancy.

The cast will be visiting London in February to see the stage show which the school hopes will inspire their own production.

The Friends of Heber are supporting the school Drama department at their next fundraising event, a dinner dance on Friday, February 27.

All proceeds from the event will go towards purchasing new curtains and a PA system.

Details of tickets for Oliver! and the dinner dance can be obtained from the school office on 01948 860571.