Director Amy Leach said “Having watched all of the previous Ramps on the Moon shows, I was excited to think about stories that felt highly theatrical and sensory – that would lend themselves to thrilling and bold, visual and aural storytelling. Nancy will be played by Clare-Louise English, making a swift return to Leeds Playhouse after appearing in Graeae/Theatre Royal Plymouth’s One Under commissioned by Ramps on the Moon in the Courtyard in November 2019, with Stephen Collins stepping into the brutal boots of Bill Sikes (the spelling taken from Charles Dickens’ original text). Bryony Lavery, adapted from the novel by Charles Dickens Leeds Playhouse with Ramps on the Moon The Quarry, Leeds Playhouse 28 February to 21 March 2020. In Leach and Lavery’s version, then, Fagin’s gang communicate covertly in BSL, adding an extra sense of the clandestine to their activities. Brooklyn Melvin Oliver Twist. Clare-Louise English Nancy. Leach is currently rehearsing a new, fully accessible production of Oliver Twist. A thrilling programme of participatory activity that opens up possibilities for people regardless of their age, circumstances or background and an innovative creative crucible for thrilling, reflective, resonant work that speaks to our city. “When I was thinking about what would be a story that you could use all the senses to tell, Dickens felt like a great fit for that,” recalls Leach. But on the flip side, we’ve really pushed the visual and aural storytelling across the piece.”. Staging well-known classics like Oliver Twist is a key part of Ramps on the Moon’s strategy. The cast will be completed by Katie Erich as Rose, Rebekah Hill as Luna, Georgia Jackson as Fingers, Steph Lacey as Mrs Thingummy, Jack Lord as Mr Brownlow, Craig Painting as Mr Sowerberry, Mitesh Soni as Charley Bates and Benjamin Wilson as Mr Bumble. I can’t wait to share Bryony’s very special adaptation with audiences around the country.”, Adapter Bryony Lavery said “I’ve cleared my desk and I’m just about to bury myself in the country with the book of Oliver Twist, a fist full of wonderful old photographs of workhouses, and a notebook stuffed with all the brilliant ideas gleaned from the first Ramps on the Moon workshop. It’s the latest show staged as part of Ramps on the Moon, a programme that aims to put accessibility at the heart of theatre institutions. In Spring 2020 Leeds Playhouse will present a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novel Oliver Twist.. She adds that Oliver Twist still has a bitter relevance today, particularly for disabled performers and audiences. Rebekah Hill Luna. Every performance of Oliver Twist will feature integrated creative sign language, audio description and captioning. Sealey adds: “It’s about being valued, being given opportunities as artists, and not being pigeonholed.”, This Oliver Twist will be both familiar and unfamiliar. Previous Ramps on the Moon productions include Our Country’s Good, The Who’s Tommy and The Government Inspector. Oliver Twist will give an integrated ensemble cast of D/deaf, disabled and non-disabled actors the opportunity to play a brilliantly varied range of characters and showcase a wide range of talents. Directed by Leeds Playhouse’s Associate Director Amy Leach (The Night Before Christmas, Hamlet, Road, Romeo & Juliet) and adapted by award-winning playwright Bryony Lavery, it will star Brooklyn Melvin in the role of Oliver, aided and abetted by a gang of wily pickpockets led the Artful Dodger, played by Nadeem Islam, who’s best known for presenting the BBC’s See Hear series, and Caroline Parker MBE as Fagin (Our Country’s Good, Ramps on the Moon and Nottingham Playhouse UK Tour). Born and raised in a life of poverty and misfortune, orphaned Oliver Twist travels to London on a life-changing adventure. 28 May – 6 June Theatre Royal Stratford East 020 8534 0310 www.stratfordeast.com Priority booking from noon Wed 26 Jun to Stratford East Members, general on sale from noon Fri 28 Jun. “It’s about opening up audiences to maybe things that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to,” explains Leach. All rights reserved. General office hours are Monday to Friday 10am-5pm. The creative team explain its ‘aesthetics of access’, Wed 26 Feb 2020 08.28 EST By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy. Director Amy Leach said: “Oliver Twist is a vivid, dark and visceral story and I am really excited to explore how adding artistic layers of creative sign language, audio description and captioning can enhance the storytelling for all audience members.