The Charles Dickens classic, Oliver Twist is brought alive on stage with music and dance by the students of Bangalore School of Speech and Drama (BSSD). Zulfia Shaikh, who founded BSSD in 1998, has directed the musical, adapted by Joellen Bland with music and lyrics by Scott DeTurk.
Talking about the production, Zulfia says, “This script has been on our radar for quite some time. When we finally found an adaptation that spoke to us, we jumped at the opportunity. Oliver Twist is such a dramatic, human, story. It has action, adventure, drama, and humour. The reason we are so passionate about this show is because by performing it, we get to bring the brilliance of Dickens and theatre to a new generation, in a way they don’t expect.”
The production has a cast strength of 110 with actors ranging from eight to 17 years. “Shloka Nandakumar plays Oliver while Hasnain Shaikh is Fagin and Pavithra Rajesh is Nancy. As always the production and backstage crew is also made up of our students.”
The audition process Zulfia says was quite expansive. “As a performance school of over 350 students, it was quite a task. Every student does an acting, dancing, and singing audition. We are always looking for children who fit the role, children who show potential. As a theatre school, we know how transformative the play process can be for these young actors in the making, and so have to constantly be aware of whether the child is ready to step into the spotlight or not.”
Rehearsals, Zulfia says were relentless. “What makes our rehearsal process unique is the sheer complexity of scheduling, and the gruelling schedule. Our cast wears many hats, actors are also dancers and singers. This is why rehearsals can be long and tedious, but always fun. That is the beauty of theatre, no matter what the hours, it hardly ever feels like work. To top that, the children bring their very own brand of energy and joie de vivre to the stage.”
The Musical Adventures of Oliver Twist will be staged on July 5 at 7 pm and July 6 at 11 am and 7 pm at St John’s Auditorium, Koramangala. Tickets are available on bookmyshow