Durham Market Hall, one of the city’s quirkiest theatrical venues, is hosting Front Room Productions later this week in their original version of Charles Dickens’ ever popular tale, Oliver Twist.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, the Market Hall will be the backdrop to Oliver’s story, taking him from the workhouse to Fagin’s underground world of juvenile thieves, meeting all the associated characters along the way, some cruel and violent, some loving and self-sacrificing. The compact adaptation of Dickens’ tale allows for two performances each night, at 7pm and 8.30pm.
Olivia Race, who scripted and directed the play, commented: “A team of fantastically talented students are rehearsing for Friday and Saturday’sperformances, and getting ready to transport audiences back into Dickens’ Victorian era. Oliver Twist is of course a well-known story, but audiences can expect a new take on this favourite, and a production which is clever in its use of the Market Hall as the set.”
Colin Wilkes, Managing Director of Durham Market Hall, added: “Durham’s Victorian Market Hall is a natural venue for Oliver Twist, and we’re confident that audiences will appreciate the play all the more because of the setting. It’s wonderful to have Front Room Productions here, and we wish all the students involved every success with their production.”
The play is performed as a promenade, with actors and audience moving around the Market Hall as the story progresses. There are two performances of the play each night on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th April, at 7pm and 8.30pm. Tickets are priced at £7 (concessions £6/ DST £5) and can be purchased online at
https://community.dur.ac.uk/dst/show.php?show=1333 .