Full Synopsis

Lionel Bart's Oliver! JR. opens in a glum workhouse in 19th century England, where the poor, hungry, hardworking children are waiting for dinner ("Food Glorious Food"). The children scarf down their food, but one plucky orphan isn't satisfied; Oliver wants more ("Oliver")! Shocked and perturbed by his boldness, the individuals in charge of the workhouse, Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney, agree to sell Oliver to anyone willing to take him off their hands ("Boy For Sale"). The undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, pays for the boy, and as Oliver takes in his grim new surroundings, he wonders if anyone will ever love him ("Where Is Love?").

The next morning, the Sowerberrys' apprentice, Noah, comes into the undertaker's parlor and begins bullying Oliver. When Noah says cruel things about Oliver's dead mother, Oliver lunges at him, starting a fight. Mr. Sowerberry tries to send Oliver back to the workhouse, but Oliver flees to the outskirts of London. Oliver happens upon clever pickpocket Dodger, who offers the boy a place to stay with Fagin's Gang of thieves. Oliver accepts and is welcomed by the gang ("Consider Yourself"). Oliver doesn't fully understand what he's gotten himself into, as Fagin explains their "business" ("Pick A Pocket Or Two").

Nancy and her friend Bet pay a visit to Fagin and his thieves the next morning, and though the young women lead dangerous lives of crime, they insist they enjoy it ("It's A Fine Life"). Oliver politely bows when he is introduced to the girls, and the gang makes fun of him for it. Nancy, however, comes to his defense, admiring his manners ("I'd Do Anything"). Fagin then puts the gang to work, sending them out to pickpocket ("Be Back Soon"). Oliver's first day of thievery does not go well when Mr. Brownlow catches the boy stealing his handkerchief. Oliver is apprehended by a Policeman.

That evening, Nancy is present at a boxing match where she sings "the old school song" for a rough crowd (Oom- Pah-Pah). However, the fun quickly ends when brutal burglar Bill Sikes enters ("My Name"). Dodger suddenly rushes in, reporting to Fagin that Oliver has been taken in by Mr. Brownlow. Sikes overhears the conversation and orders Nancy to go steal him back. Nancy doesn't want to take Oliver away from his new home, but her love for Sikes compels her to do as she has been told ("As Long As He Needs Me").

In Mr. Brownlow's home, the housekeeper Mrs. Bedwin affectionately sings Oliver a lullaby ("Where Is Love? - Reprise") while the Market Sellers sell their wares outside ("Who Will Buy? - Part 1"). Dr. Grimwig arrives to check on Oliver's health, but he is suspicious that the boy may be taking advantage of Mr. Brownlow. He suggests Oliver complete an errand for Mr. Brownlow, and Mr. Brownlow agrees. Oliver leaves on his errand, wandering into the market ("Who Will Buy? - Part 2"). Nancy, Bet, and Sikes enter the scene, stealing a struggling Oliver away from his new life.

Once Oliver is back among the thieves, Nancy expresses her regret in helping abduct him ("It's A Fine Life - Reprise"). Fagin privately seems conflicted about his involvement as well ("Reviewing The Situation"). Meanwhile, at the workhouse, Old Sally reveals a secret. She stole a locket from Oliver's mother, who gave birth to the boy and passed away in the workhouse. The locket seems to indicate that Oliver's mother came from a wealthy family. Widow Corney and Mr. Bumble set out to find the boy, intent on making a profit from this information ("Oliver - Reprise").

Widow Corney and Mr. Bumble take the locket to Mr. Brownlow, who realizes the locket belonged to his daughter, making Oliver his grandson. Suddenly, Nancy rushes in, revealing to Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin why Oliver has gone missing. She tells them she will return Oliver to them that night. Nancy leaves, but she fails to see that Sikes is following her ("As Long As He Needs Me - Reprise"). Later that night, Sikes confronts Nancy and Bet as they are delivering Oliver to Mr. Brownlow. A struggle ensues, and Oliver breaks free, but Sikes strikes Nancy, ultimately killing her. An angry crowd chases Sikes down, but Sikes jumps off a bridge to his death before they can reach him. After a night of terror, Oliver is reunited with Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin. Fagin and his gang, meanwhile, flee from the police, and Fagin considers turning over a new leaf.

OLIVER! Jr. - Character Breakdown

Mr. Bumble

Mr. Bumble runs the workhouse with Widow Corney and holds considerable authority over Oliver and the other children. He is cold, self-important, and more concerned with rules, money, and maintaining his position than with the children in his care. His relationship with Widow Corney is both a partnership and a comic pairing, and together they later try to profit from discovering the truth about Oliver’s family.

Musical Features:
“Oliver!” — Principal
“Boy for Sale” — Principal/Solo
“Oliver! (Reprise)” — Principal with Widow Corney

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: Bb2–F4

Widow Corney

Widow Corney runs the workhouse alongside Mr. Bumble. She is calculating, practical, and motivated largely by what benefits her. Her relationship with Bumble provides comic interplay, but the two also become partners in trying to profit from the information they uncover about Oliver’s past.

Musical Features:
“Oliver!” — Principal with Mr. Bumble
“Oliver! (Reprise)” — Principal with Mr. Bumble

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: B3–Eb5

Oliver Twist

Oliver is an 11-year-old orphan and the center of the story. He is intelligent, kind, hopeful, and more courageous than people initially expect. He longs for love and a family, but repeatedly finds himself at the mercy of adults who see him as something to control or profit from. His relationships drive the story: Dodger offers him his first sense of friendship and belonging, Fagin draws him into a dangerous new world, Nancy becomes his protector, and Mr. Brownlow offers him the loving home he has been searching for.

Musical Features:
“Where Is Love?” — Principal/Solo
“Consider Yourself” — Principal with Dodger
“I’d Do Anything” — Principal/Featured
“Be Back Soon” — Principal/Featured with Fagin, Dodger & Gang
“Who Will Buy?” — Principal with featured Market Sellers and ensemble

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: A3–E5

Mr. Sowerberry

Mr. Sowerberry is the undertaker who purchases Oliver from Mr. Bumble. He views Oliver primarily as inexpensive labor and does little to protect him from the cruelty within his household. His relationship with Mrs. Sowerberry establishes the household Oliver is trying to survive, while his treatment of Oliver helps push the boy toward his decision to escape.

Musical Features: Chorus; acting role.

Gender: Male

Mrs. Sowerberry

Mrs. Sowerberry is the undertaker’s wife and shares her husband’s lack of concern for Oliver. She gives him scraps meant for the dog and expects him to work without offering much kindness in return. Her relationships with her husband, Noah, Charlotte, and Oliver create the unpleasant household that ultimately drives Oliver away.

Musical Features: Chorus; acting role.

Gender: Female

Charlotte

Charlotte works for the Sowerberrys. She is somewhat kinder to Oliver than the others, but she remains part of a household in which he is treated as an outsider. Her interactions with Noah, the Sowerberrys, and Oliver help establish the social hierarchy of the household and Oliver’s isolation within it.

Musical Features: Chorus; acting role.

Gender: Female

Noah Claypole

Noah works for the Sowerberrys and uses his position to bully Oliver. He deliberately attacks the subject Oliver cares about most, his mother, provoking Oliver into finally fighting back. Noah’s relationship with Oliver is important because it reveals that Oliver is not simply passive or helpless: when pushed far enough, he will defend himself and the people he loves.

Musical Features: Chorus; acting role.

Gender: Male

Artful Dodger

The Artful Dodger, also known as Jack Dawkins, is charming, confident, clever, and streetwise. Although he is a thief working for Fagin, he is also the first person Oliver meets in London who offers him friendship, food, and a place to belong. His relationship with Oliver begins with genuine kindness, even though he leads Oliver into Fagin’s criminal world. Dodger is also an established and admired member of Fagin’s gang.

Musical Features:
“Consider Yourself” — Principal/Lead
“I’d Do Anything” — Principal
“Be Back Soon” — Principal/Featured
“It’s a Fine Life (Reprise)” — Supporting/Featured

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: A3–E5

Fagin

Fagin recruits, trains, and manages a gang of young thieves. He presents himself as their caretaker, but his livelihood depends upon what they steal for him. He is mentor and employer to Dodger and the gang, draws the innocent Oliver into his operation, and is connected to Nancy and Sikes through London's criminal world. As the story progresses, Fagin begins questioning the life he has built.

Musical Features:
“Pick a Pocket or Two” — Principal/Lead
“I’d Do Anything” — Supporting/Featured
“Be Back Soon” — Principal/Lead
“It’s a Fine Life (Reprise)” — Principal/Featured
“Reviewing the Situation” — Principal/Solo

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: C3–G4

Charlie Bates

Charlie is one of Fagin’s young thieves and a great admirer of the Artful Dodger. He is already comfortable in the world that Oliver is just discovering and helps establish the camaraderie and hierarchy within Fagin’s gang.

Musical Features:
“Pick a Pocket or Two” — Supporting/Featured as part of Fagin’s Gang
“I’d Do Anything” — Ensemble/Featured Gang
“Be Back Soon” — Ensemble/Featured Gang

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: G4–B4

Nipper

Nipper is the smallest member of Fagin’s gang. Though the role has no spoken lines, Nipper is part of the close-knit group that welcomes Oliver into its world. The actor can develop Nipper’s personality through physical storytelling, reactions, and relationships with the other gang members.

Musical Features:
Featured solo within Fagin’s Gang, plus ensemble participation in the gang numbers.

Gender: Any
Vocal Range: A3–E4

Captain

Captain is one of the young people in Fagin’s gang. The role offers an opportunity to create an individual personality within the larger group through singing, movement, reactions, and relationships with the other gang members.

Musical Features:
Featured solo within Fagin’s Gang material, plus ensemble participation in the gang numbers.

Gender: Any
Vocal Range: B3–A4

Handwalker

Handwalker is another member of Fagin’s gang. Like Captain and Nipper, Handwalker is part of the community that initially makes Oliver feel welcome and can build a distinctive character within the group.

Musical Features:
Featured solo within Fagin’s Gang material, plus ensemble participation in the gang numbers.

Gender: Any
Vocal Range: D4–B4

Nancy

Nancy is spirited, warm, adventurous, and deeply compassionate despite living in a dangerous world. She immediately recognizes Oliver’s innocence and becomes protective of him. Bet is her friend and companion, Fagin and the gang are part of the life she knows, Oliver awakens her protective instincts, and her complicated love for Bill Sikes puts her in conflict with what she knows is right. Ultimately, Nancy must choose between protecting Oliver and obeying Sikes.

Musical Features:
“It’s a Fine Life” — Principal/Lead
“I’d Do Anything” — Principal
“Oom-Pah-Pah” — Principal/Lead
“As Long As He Needs Me” — Principal/Solo
“It’s a Fine Life (Reprise)” — Principal
“As Long As He Needs Me (Reprise)” — Principal/Solo

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: G3–E5

Bet

Bet is Nancy’s friend and shares her spirited nature and sense of adventure. She understands the dangers of Nancy’s world and shares Nancy’s affection and concern for Oliver. Her relationship with Nancy is especially important: she is friend, companion, and witness to Nancy’s increasingly difficult situation with Sikes.

Musical Features:
“It’s a Fine Life” — Supporting/Featured
“I’d Do Anything” — Supporting/Featured

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: A3–D5

Mr. Brownlow

Mr. Brownlow is a kind and compassionate man who takes Oliver into his home. Their relationship develops into one of trust and genuine care, providing Oliver with his first experience of a safe and loving home. The eventual discovery that Oliver is his grandson transforms that connection into the family relationship Oliver has been searching for.

Musical Features: chorus; substantial acting role.

Gender: Male

Bill Sikes

Bill Sikes is ruthless, intimidating, suspicious, and accustomed to controlling the people around him through fear. His most important relationship is with Nancy. Nancy loves him despite his cruelty.

Musical Features:
“My Name” — Principal/Solo
“It’s a Fine Life (Reprise)” — Principal/Featured

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: B2–D4

Chairman

The Chairman appears at the Three Cripples Public House and helps establish the lively, rough-and-tumble environment surrounding Nancy and the people in her world.

Musical Features: Primarily an acting feature within the musical sequence; not a principal singer.

Gender: Male

Mrs. Bedwin

Mrs. Bedwin is Mr. Brownlow’s kindhearted housekeeper and becomes one of Oliver’s caregivers. Her gentle treatment of Oliver is a sharp contrast to the adults he encountered earlier, and she helps establish Brownlow’s home as a place of genuine care.

Musical Features:
“Where Is Love? (Reprise)” — Principal/Solo

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: C4–B4

Milkmaid

The Milkmaid is one of the featured Market Sellers who brings the streets of London to life. This is a relatively small character role but carries genuine individual musical responsibility

Musical Features:
“Who Will Buy?” — Featured Soloist

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: Eb4–C5

Strawberry Seller

The Strawberry Seller is one of the featured Market Sellers whose voice helps create the lively London community Oliver observes from Mr. Brownlow’s home.

Musical Features:
“Who Will Buy?” — Featured Soloist

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: Eb4–Eb5

Knife Grinder

The Knife Grinder is a featured Market Seller with an individual musical identity within the larger marketplace.

Musical Features:
“Who Will Buy?” — Featured Soloist

Gender: Male
Vocal Range: Bb2–G3

Rose Seller

The Rose Seller is another featured Market Seller whose individual vocal material contributes to the overlapping sounds of London.

Musical Features:
“Who Will Buy?” — Featured Soloist

Gender: Female
Vocal Range: Bb3–Ab4.

Dr. Grimwig

Dr. Grimwig is intelligent, skeptical, and considerably more pessimistic than Mr. Brownlow. His relationship with Brownlow creates an important disagreement: Brownlow wants to believe in Oliver, while Grimwig believes that trust should be tested.

Musical Features: chorus; featured acting role.

Gender: Male

Old Sally

Old Sally possesses crucial information about Oliver’s past. Her revelation about Oliver’s mother provides the missing connection between Oliver and Mr. Brownlow and changes Oliver’s future.

Musical Features: Chorus; featured acting role.

Gender: Female

Matron

The Matron is connected to the workhouse and helps confirm the truth surrounding Oliver’s birth and his mother, Agnes. Although the role is brief, the information she helps establish is essential to revealing Oliver’s identity.

Musical Features: Chorus; featured acting role.

Gender: Female

Ensemble

The ensemble creates the different communities Oliver encounters throughout his journey: Workhouse Children, Fagin’s Gang, people of London, customers at the Three Cripples, Market Sellers, townspeople, the crowd and police.

Musical Features include:
“Food Glorious Food” — Principal Ensemble
“Consider Yourself” — Supporting Ensemble
“Pick a Pocket or Two” — Supporting Ensemble/Fagin’s Gang
“It’s a Fine Life” — Supporting Ensemble/Fagin’s Gang
“I’d Do Anything” — Supporting Ensemble/Fagin’s Gang
“Be Back Soon” — Supporting Ensemble/Fagin’s Gang
“Oom-Pah-Pah” — Supporting Ensemble
“Who Will Buy?” — Supporting Ensemble with featured soloists
“London Bridge” / final sequence — Ensemble

Music preview on YouTube

A: Unfortunately, no. When registration reaches capacity, a waitlist sign-up will be provided. While we would love to add “just one more,” even 1–2 extra students can cause major challenges. Additional enrollment increases unplanned costs such as extra mic rentals, extended rehearsal time, more instructors, and technical limits (our sound board only supports 28 channels, and upgrading would require thousands in new equipment and skilled technicians).

A: Switching is only possible if space is available in the preferred cast. If that cast is full, your student will need to join the waitlist. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that friends will be placed together once a cast has filled.

Enrollment caps protect the quality of the program. We sometimes adjust to accommodate more students, but space is not guaranteed.

Audition Information

Auditions help our directorial team get to know each actor and determine the best placement of roles.

All performers registered for the production are Cast Members and will be assigned a role.

Auditions are held privately with the directorial team.

What to Prepare

Actors should be prepared to:

• Slate: Clearly state your full name, monologue title/source, and song selection.

• Perform a short memorized monologue — approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute.

• Sing the audition song with the provided instrumental track.

• Perform a short dance combination using choreography provided in advance.

• Read scenes (sides) from the script. Younger actors may read or repeat lines with help from the director.

• Try a dialect if requested for a particular character.

• Optional: Share a joke or special skill such as gymnastics, dance, martial arts, instruments, or another performance skill.

A Few Things to Know

Please come into auditions open to the possibilities of the production rather than expecting a particular role. Every role contributes to telling the story, and we encourage actors to embrace the part they are given.

Some roles may be shared or split between actors. In these cases, an actor may perform the role in certain performances and appear in a featured ensemble or supporting role in others.

Actors may be asked to portray a character of any gender. Unless otherwise noted on the audition form, all participants may be considered for any role.

Please come into auditions open to the possibilities of the production as a whole rather than expecting a particular role.

Participants should not expect to play a “lead”. Our goal is to provide participants the tools they need to participate in an ensemble, and have a fantastic time learning and growing in this group process. We aim to provide as much stage time as possible to every participant, and encourage our cast members to be part of an ensemble group no matter what role they are cast to play. We’re here to enjoy the experience! The casting process takes into consideration various factors including presentations at audition, experience, training, passion, growth, commitment to rehearsals and practice, roles previously played, and last but definitely not least, the chemistry of the cast over all. Please encourage your child to embrace their casting, and remember, there are no small parts!

Every student must have a parent or guardian volunteer representative.

OYES relies on volunteer support to make productions possible.

Families may choose from a variety of roles, ranging from leadership positions to simple one-time tasks. Opportunities include set building, painting, poster distribution, costume fittings, props, sewing, box office, concessions, and more.