Matt Lucas to star in West End 'Oliver!' for six weeks

Matt Lucas most recently played the role of Thénardier in Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular, as well as participating in the 40th anniversary celebrations of the London production.

Matt Lucas will star as Fagin in Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver! for six weeks only at the Gielgud Theatre in the West End. He will perform from 22 September to 1 November.

Lucas most recently played the role of Thénardier in Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular, as well as participating in the 40th anniversary celebrations of the London production. He has reprised the role multiple times since his first run in 2010. Lucas came to prominence on Shooting Stars but is best known for co-creating BBC comedy Little Britain. He has previously co-hosted The Great British Bake Off for Channel 4.

Lucas said: “I’ve always wanted to appear in Oliver! It was the first West End musical I ever saw, aged 6, and I adored it. Apparently, despite my considerable range, I am considered slightly too old now to play the title role, so instead I shall be appearing as Fagin. It’s always a treat to reunite with Cameron, and, of course, to get the opportunity to work with Matthew Bourne. I love this incredible new production and am thrilled and honoured to now be a part of it.”

Cameron Mackintosh added: “I’m absolutely thrilled that the one and only Matt Lucas is going to bring his incomparable talent to the role of Fagin for six weeks from the end of September, while the dazzling Simon Lipkin takes a break from reviewing the situation as he becomes a father for the first time, to whom we send our best wishes. Matt has just triumphed as Thenardier in the LES MIS Arena Spectacular at the Royal Albert Hall and will come to OLIVER! hot foot from being part of the upcoming all-star season of LES MIS at New York’s legendary Radio City Music Hall at the end of this month.”

Matt Lucas joins Ava Brennan as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes, Aaron MacGregor as the Artful Dodger, Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Mr. Bumble, Katy Secombe as Widow Corney, Stephen Matthews as Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig, Jamie Birkett as Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedwin and Philip Franks as Mr. Brownlow. Mark Lockyer plays Mr. Brownlow from Tuesday 21 July.

Simon Lipkin, who has been with this production since the revival's return to the West End, will continue in the role until 20 September, returning on 3 November.

The role of Oliver Twist is played by Isaac Hackett, James Miller, Thomas Newman and Jacob Sanders-Jones.

The ensemble includes Adam Boardman, Julie Cloke, Lois Craig, Harry Cross, Stephen John Davis, Will Elliott, Tom Andrew Hargreaves, Victoria Hay, Bethany Huckle, Jehu Josephs, Bethan Keens, Danny Lane, Conor McFarlane, Mia Mullarkey, Erin Oliver, Jasmine Sakyiama, Wendy Somerville, Charlie Stripp, Jamie Tyler, Lochlan White, Sienna Widd and Dane Young.

The younger roles in Fagin’s gang are performed by Titus Boniface, Nathaniel Morgan Bennett, Noelle Coker, Sebastian Castro, Liam England, Joshua Fowler, Jonah Mansell, Tristan Marwa, Tommy McGovern, Stanley Mould, Herb Muldoon, Jena Osman, Hugo Pechey, Josh Pegler, Charlie Ranganathan, Lawrence Sebastian, Eli Sesay, Sienna Sibley, Asher Swaray-Gray, Henry Thomas and Jake Weatherall.

Adapted from Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver! tells the story of orphan Oliver Twist, who escapes the Victorian workhouse and falls in with a bunch of pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. The score includes numbers such as "Food Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself", "You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two", "I’d Do Anything", and more.

Oliver! is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne and co-directed by Jean-Pierre van der Spuy, with design by Lez Brotherston, lighting design by Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs, sound design by Adam Fisher, video design by George Reeve, new orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe based on the original by William David Brohn, and music supervision by Graham Hurman.

Book Oliver! tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Matt Lucas. (Courtesy of production)