Oliver Twist production by CBC inspired by works of its’ founder

The play draws our attention to societal issues of the time, such as child labour, the recruitment of children as criminals, and the cruel treatment of orphans and street children in 19th Century England. Many themes are covered that are still very relevant today, including: social class division, poverty and criminality, fate and free will, belonging and identity.

Director Dr Kim Delury said the play was chosen because of its accessibility, fast-paced action and the fascinating characters for actors to engage with at an all-boys school.

“Oliver Twist experienced considerable poverty, misfortune and maltreatment in his early years. A keen understanding of such hardship inspired the work of Blessed Edmund Rice, who founded the congregation of Christian Brothers in the early 19th Century, for the Christian education of poor boys.

“His tireless efforts became an inspiration to countless others around the world, and for more than two centuries, millions have been attracted by his vision and generosity. Since 1872, Catholic Schools in the Edmund Rice tradition, including CBC Fremantle, have been educating boys in every Australian state and territory.”

Oliver Twist is played by Sean (Year 9), who said he could personally relate to the personality of Oliver.

“I really enjoyed playing the character of Oliver Twist, because Oliver has similar characteristics to me and his kind nature and curiosity in the world felt like I had a real connection to him. The character allowed me to explore the struggles and triumphs that Oliver Twist would have had, especially meeting people in his world who weren’t very nice.

“One of the highlights for me was portraying Oliver’s transformation from a timid orphan to a courageous young man, it was a rewarding journey to explore. I really enjoyed working with such a talented cast and crew who became like family through rehearsals and performances, I will never forget this experience.”

Year 11 student Oscar played the role of Bill Sikes and said that he enjoyed the challenges of playing a villain character.

“Bill has a very convincing personality, but this is somewhat due to his uncontrollable anger. Embodying his imposing and intimidating nature was the most achievable but his personality took the longest time to craft. I am very happy with the character I played and my interpretation of him. It took a while to pick up on his many facets, but it was an incredible experience I would happily do again.”

Finlay, Year 12, who played the role of Fagin, said the opportunity to play this character gave him the versatility to express so many different emotions to give proper development to Fagin.

“Watching all the pieces of production and all the acting preparations fall together after months of work from everyone was incredibly satisfying. Seeing every cast member finding their footing with their character(s), and really inhabiting the role made the whole experience extremely immersing.”

Principal Domenic Burgio said the 15-student cast with their crew began rehearsing in Term 3 last year under the direction of Drama Teacher Dr Kim Delury and Arts Technician Michelle Timms who co-ordinated the costumes, props and sets.

“I’m so proud of the efforts by all involved. It was truly remarkable to see them work so hard behind the scenes. Many of our cast playing multiple roles, involving swift costume changes and all actors assisting with complex set changes, ensuring that the shows ran smoothly – The production was a huge success for all involved, with audience members highly entertained by this skilful play adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel, and some claiming that it was the best school production that they had ever seen.”

The success of Oliver Twist resulted in three sold out shows from 22 to 24 March 2024 at the College’s Arts Learning Area.