Ashfield School students wow audiences with performances of popular musical Oliver!

This year students, staff and the local community were treated to rousing interpretation of Oliver!

Approximately six hundred audience members over four performance evenings came to watch Lionel Bart’s heart-warming tale of orphaned boy Oliver Twist, who goes to London to seek his fortune.

Many left humming the recognisable tunes and a number of the audience commented that they were very impressed by the quality of the acting, singing and dancing on display.

The rehearsal process for this year’s show has involved over fifty students giving up time after school and during several weekends, showing their dedication and commitment to producing such a high-quality performance.

The cast were made up of students from all year groups, enabling younger members to learn from older students who have performed in previous productions.

No matter their age, they have all worked incredibly hard and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience, a school spokesperson said.

Tickets sold out in record time this year, with all four nights being snapped up in just twelve minutes.

The Friday night performance was made even more special when ex-Ashfield student and critically acclaimed playwright James Graham arrived as a member of the audience.

He made a short speech after the curtain call, expressing the importance of Arts Education in schools, before spending a few minutes backstage chatting to the cast and congratulating them on a fantastic show.

A spokesperson for the Ashfield production team said: ““We would like to thank everyone involved in this year’s show; it really does take a lot of people to put on a performance of this calibre.

"We would also like to thank all the students involved, as they have been nothing but a pleasure to work with.

"And finally, a huge thank you must go to everyone who came along to support the show, it means so much to everyone involved. Although we all plan to take a well-earned rest over the Christmas break, students have already started preparations for our musical theatre showcase which will take place next term. We hope that you’ll all come back to support this evening of more theatre at Ashfield School.”