“Oliver!”, now previewing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, has to be one of the very best musicals to arrive in London for years. The direction is superb; the choreography (by the ever-wonderful Matthew Bourne) simply breathtaking. The set is remarkable, and the cast – led by the brilliant Rowan Atkinson as Fagin – top-notch. Beg, borrow or steal a ticket…
But actually… whilst I’m talking about stealing: there is one flaw in the production. See, it’s that Dickens chap. All of the pickpockets in his book were lads. Why on earth didn’t he write a part for a female thief? No imagination.
I can picture the scene now – before Oliver meets the Artful Dodger for the first time. We’re introduced to Fagin’s motley crew as they cower at the back of the crowd, watching as one of their number, Margaret, is tied to a post and thrashed for stealing a stallholder’s wallet. The punishment officer would sing heartily as he laid on the strokes: ‘The Whipping Song’ would be the most popular in the whole show.
The young woman would be seen with the other gang members later, still rubbing her backside. There’d be no faking the flogging, with the audience just a few feet away, but hers wouldn’t be a speaking role – so a different actress could be brought in every night from the local theatre schools to suffer, whilst fulfilling her ambition of appearing on the West End stage.
Abel, you don’t need to limit the supply of actresses for the role to the local theatre schools. I’m sure there are plenty of Big Brother and X Factor audtion rejects who are so desperate for fame they would be more than happy to oblige.
Abel, if you’d read the book, you’d know that Nancy was a thief. Which, surely, puts a whole different perspective on just why Jodie Prenger was so keen to win “I’d Do Anything” and be selected to be Nancy 😉
I thought Nancy was a prostitute? I was always told she was a prostitute… But that was in the play, I suppose, it’s been years and years and years since I read the book, so it might be different!
And can I nominate Eliane to be the first Margaret? She likes drama. Yay!
Gee Smudge, thanks sooo much. Not.
Hey, at least I didn’t volunteer you be Nancy!
Normally in musical productions songs like the “The Whipping Song” would be either preludes or reprises of major songs in the show. Usually they are sung by a different character, in a new key and often at a different tempo or in a new style. Many times because of the changes the audience hears the relationship subconsciously, connecting the events on stage with out realizing that the tune is, for want of a better term…recycled.
Keeping that in mind and wanting to establish the actresses plight with Fagin’s band of pickpockets, the tune would most likely have been based on Fagin’s number “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket Or Two”
I can hear the hook line now, in a minor key (sad) of course and much slower (dirge like);
You’ve got to take a whipping or two girls.
You’ve got to take a whipping or two!
“Thoughtful Spanker” has just ensured that I’ll never again hear that song without giggling
I was an orphan and a thief in a local production of Oliver in middle school. I totally think I would have been perfect for that part….
I am planning to make the trip up to London to watch Oliver at some stage, although the lack of a whipping song will be a disappointment.