In November 2006 the Bristol Light Opera Club returned to Lionel Bart’s Oliver! at the Bristol Hippodrome, marking what chairman Peter Sutton called “our 50th consecutive year at this wonderful theatre”; the Club had last staged the show in 1982. Directed and designed by John Cousins, his 14th production for BLOC, it used two teams of children, with Oliver shared between Daniel Comley and Jasper Couper and the Artful Dodger between Bill Collins and Euan Shanahan. Simon Gregory played Fagin and Vicky Hayes Nancy, while Bullseye was played by a dog named Fred, appearing “by kind permission of Carrie Hemmings”. The chairman’s welcome also noted NODA South West awards for the previous year’s amateur premiere of The Witches of Eastwick.
Cast
- Oliver — Daniel Comley / Jasper Couper
- Dodger — Bill Collins / Euan Shanahan
- Fagin — Simon Gregory
- Nancy — Vicky Hayes
- Bill Sikes — Simon Vardakis
- Bet — Natasha Green
- Mr Bumble — Robbie Burns
- Widow Corney — Marilyn Norton-Smith
- Mr Sowerberry — Andy Bell
- Mrs Sowerberry — Carol Davies
- Charlotte — Emma Watkins
- Noah Claypole — Joe Powell
- Mr Brownlow — Chris Parslow
- Dr Grimwig — Alex Turasiewicz
- Mrs Bedwin — Joyce Greenhalgh
- Old Sal — Carol Horton
- Strawberry Seller — Charlotte Wheadon
- Rose Seller — Sara Whittaker
- Milkmaid — Kristy Bennett
- Knife Grinder — Matt Jeanes
- Bullseye — Fred