Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society perform 'Oliver'

Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society performed Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver at the Gracie Fields Theatre last week (Wednesday 15 to Saturday 18 April).

Produced for the Broadway Stage by David Merrick and Donald Albery the amateur production was by arrangement with MusicScope and Stage Musicals Ltd of New York.

The large cast impressed in costumes of top quality. Superb lighting lit the excellent sets, and the large number of set changes were admirably coped with by cast and support. The peformance was well choreographed in the limited floor space.

Pick of the performances came from the young actor who played Oliver, with one seasoned member of the audience commenting: "The little lad who played Oliver managed to bring tears to my eyes. Now any actor who is capable of doing that has a special skill. He was excellent and well deserved the applause that he received."

Founded in 1898, Rochdale Amateur Operatic Society originally performed light operettas and then Gilbert & Sullivan.

The Society has a virtually unbroken history of performances since its inception with the exception of a short break at the end of WW1 and a longer break during WW2.

Having played for many years at the Theatre Royal and then the Hippodrome in Rochdale, the Society moved to a temporary home at the ABC cinema before moving to The Gracie Fields Theatre in 1977, which is the Society's present home.