We will get two Oliver Twists for the price of one this February half-term holiday when Brighton Theatre Group stage Lionel Bart's Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Brighton.
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00:00 Good afternoon, my name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Great pleasure
00:07 this afternoon to be in the company of Oliver Twist, but not just one Oliver Twist, I've
00:11 got two Oliver Twists here. Now the production is Oliver, Lionel Bart's Oliver, which is
00:17 going to be the big half-term treat in Brighton at the fabulous historic Theatre Royal, and
00:23 he will be on stage from February 14th to February 17th. And the two Olivers are Christian
00:29 Ridley and William Barber. Now, you are sharing the role, William, how does that work? Do
00:35 you each do a certain number of performances?
00:39 So yeah, when we do the performances, I think we do three or four each, I think it's four,
00:48 and when we do the rehearsals we'll take turns for each group. So now we're kind of doing
00:53 Act One, so we'll take turns on different scenes, like I will, let's say, I'll do Fugue
01:00 Rose for Oliver, and Christian will do the Funeral Parlour and Boy for Sale, and then
01:08 we'll keep doing roles and then we'll switch over and then we'll go to Act Two.
01:14 Fantastic, so on any one night we don't see you both?
01:21 On the show nights, no.
01:23 And Christian, tell me, is that really useful, the fact that you've got a mate, you've got
01:27 a friend who's doing exactly the same role as you? Do you chat about it much?
01:34 Yeah, I feel like it's really good to have someone which has also the same role as you
01:39 because you can get tips from them as well and maybe be inspired by them, and I think
01:44 it's really good to have a partner.
01:47 And Christian, do you think you'll be very similar, Oliver, or will you have subtle differences
01:52 between you and the way you approach it?
01:55 I think we're quite similar because we both do really well at the singing and we both
02:02 do really well at the acting.
02:04 Yeah, and William, that's a huge combination, isn't it? Because of course it's not just
02:09 a big, big role, you have got big, big songs as well. How do you carry that burden, that
02:16 double responsibility?
02:20 What I would do is I would think of what he would be thinking, and I find it really enjoyable
02:30 to do the songs because I can sort of imagine that I am in Victorian times and I'm looking,
02:35 like, who will buy? I'm looking down, I'm seeing everyone selling stuff, and it's a
02:40 nice kind of town and I have a comfy bed and it's all really nice and fine.
02:48 And that's a fantastic leap of imagination, but you wouldn't want to stop in Victorian
02:53 times, would you? They had a pretty tough time, didn't they?
02:58 Oh yeah, they did.
03:00 And Christian, you've been on the stage before, haven't you? You've been on the stage in
03:08 the Theatre Royal before.
03:11 Yeah.
03:13 Is that going to help you, that you can remember having been on that stage?
03:18 Definitely, because I sort of know how many people are going to be there, and because
03:24 I've been on a stage before, it's not as nerve-wracking as it used to be, because I
03:28 kind of know what it's going to be like now, and it's really fun.
03:33 That's a really useful experience, isn't it? But do you remember from last time, are
03:36 you really conscious of seeing the audience, or are they just sort of shadows in the darkness?
03:43 Well, I am quite cautious of them being there, but I always find a spot which I look at and
03:51 just perform and just pretend they're not there and I'm just singing in my room.
03:57 Oh, that sounds like the best possible approach. Now, you have that experience, but William
04:01 doesn't. This is going to be your first time, William, on stage. That really is quite
04:05 something, isn't it?
04:07 Yeah, it really is. I'm really excited for it as well.
04:11 And so you should be, and what a fabulous venue. You're in a theatre that predates
04:15 Victorian times, aren't you?
04:17 Yeah. I mean, that's something.
04:21 And William, are you going to have lots of mates and friends and family coming along
04:25 watching?
04:26 Yeah, most of my friends at school are coming, and some of my teachers as well.
04:33 And my friends and family, so like my nan, my parents and my aunties.
04:41 Does that make it more difficult when you know people aren't there?
04:46 Sort of, but not sort of, because you know that someone's coming there because they...
04:53 Well, when you do the auditions, you get through there because they know that you're good enough
04:59 for this part, that it's kind of meant to be.
05:06 The point is everyone is supporting you, aren't they? They're there because they want you
05:10 to do well. And what about you, Christian? Have you got lots of family coming along?
05:14 Yeah, I got a lot of people from my school coming, teachers, family, friends.
05:22 Oh, it sounds like you're going to have a fabulous experience, both of you.
05:27 Really, really lovely to speak to both of you. Good luck with everything, and what a
05:32 brilliant achievement you're about to have. Thank you ever so much for your time. Thank you.