‘Music Theatre 4 Youth’ to perform Oliver! at Waterside Theatre

A cast of over 50 young people, including both local actors such as Alix Hull from Limavady and others from across Ireland, will work with a top-level artistic team, from London’s West End and Scotland, to bring the production together in just five days.

MT4Uth will showcase its version of the family favourite musical, based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, just three weeks after its previous workshop production of Les Miserables sold out Belfast’s new centre of arts excellence, The MAC.

Supported by Arts Council NI, there will be two performances of Oliver! on Saturday, August 25, with an afternoon showing added to the schedule, due to popular demand.

Established in 2005, Music Theatre 4 Youth is the only all-Ireland performing arts education charity with the objective of providing opportunities for young people to engage in musical theatre training and to take part in productions and performances nationwide.

Commenting on the upcoming performance of Oliver!, Jenny Cooke, Chief Executive, MT4Uth said: “We hardly had a moment to catch our breath following the great success of Les Miserables, at The MAC earlier this month, before preparations began for Oliver! Music Theatre 4 Youth’s mandate is to showcase its talented performers in as many venues as possible across Ireland and I am delighted that our latest workshop production will be at the Waterside Theatre, Londonderry. Our goal is also to help make the performing arts accessible to as many young people as possible.”

“MT4Uth’s star is rising and our new training academy will be launched later in the year which will focus on educating and developing young, talented and local performing artists. In addition, we will strive to continue to produce first-class performances, such as Oliver!, by bringing in world-renowned directors and choreographers to work with and develop our promising young artists.”

For further information or to book a performance, please visit www.mt4uth.com, http://www.watersidetheatre.com or 02871 314000