Before Christmas, Headington School performed their version of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! , a musical based on the famous novel by Charles Dickens written in 1838. 

The musical follows the journey of young Oliver Twist as he navigates the harsh realities of 19th-century London.

 

The performance was incredibly well crafted and executed by 40 young performers who pushed themselves to stay in character and bring this well-known story  of poverty, injustice, and the power of hope to life. 

 

The combination of a clever script and a specially-designed set made for a very professional performance where everyone in the audience felt part of the story . Performances such as Zoe singing “As Long As He Needs Me” sent chills across the audience and well-choreographed street scenes, with shots fired and villains wrested to the ground, left us on the edge of our seats. 

 

One of the highlights of the show was the incredible music that was performed live by the Headington band. The songs were catchy, emotional, and really brought the story to life. The iconic song "Consider Yourself"  was stuck in my head for days.

 

Putting together such an engaging show required a lot of creative input and energy from teachers, students, and Headington’s tech team. Lexi, an assistant director of Headington’s version, described the process of creating this performance as “knackering and busy” including a full tech weekend and dress runs before opening night.

 

The musical was led by Headington’s dance, music, and drama teachers, which allowed for all aspects of the show to be perfectly executed. As Eva ,one of the performers, said “I really benefited from having specialised teachers as they had a lot of knowledge of their subject and were able to provide a more specific and professional approach.”

 

School productions like these are also a great way to gain experience in the acting world and learn the processes of professional acting. Year 11 student Lydia, who was brilliant as villainous Fagin and dreams of becoming a film actress or director said “ it was incredible to see how professional the entire production was and how theatre should be properly approached.” 

 

I can’t wait to see some more of  Headington’s brilliant performers in the upcoming production of Matilda this summer.

Written By: Ana Galvani-Silva (HSO)