A young boy is following in his brother's footsteps to play the lead role in a musical theatre production.
Eleven-year-old Ollie Vaughan from Weymouth is playing the lead role in WOW’s production of Oliver! It comes after his older brother Charlie played the same role around 11 years ago.
The WOW show starts today, Wednesday, November 15, at Weymouth Pavilion and runs until Saturday. Performances will take place at 7pm with an additional 2pm matinee on Saturday.
Ollie was initially cast to play the role of Oliver when he was also eight years old with Wessex Musical Theatre, however the performance could not go ahead due to the Covid pandemic.
The youngster has made a few big screen appearances, starring in Far From The Madding Crowd, as well as plenty of TV adverts.
Ollie as Oliver (Image: Paul Madley)
Charlie and Ollie have starred alongside each other in a production of The Addams Family which was 'for the first and last time.'
Their mum, Sian Vaughan said: “It was funny because Charlie played a love interest called Lucas, whilst Ollie played Pugsley who hated him in the play.”
Charlie had his big break back in 2012 when he starred in a Children in Need advert, as well as working alongside Catherine Tate and is now doing a musical theatre degree at the Emil Dale Academy in Bedfordshire.
Charlie as Oliver (Image: Jim Tampin)
Mrs Vaughan explained that the Charlie ‘got into acting when his eldest brother Jack was doing a show at school, and they needed a little boy. Jack then mentioned his four-year-old-brother for the role.’
Charlie’s debut performance saw him sing on stage in French and now his younger brother is following in his footsteps.
Mrs Vaughan expressed her pride for all three of her children.
Oliver! is based on Charles Dickens' timeless novel, Oliver Twist, and features music and lyrics by Lionel Bart.
The heart-warming tale follows the journey of young Oliver Twist as he navigates the gritty streets of Victorian London, encountering a colourful cast of characters, including the charismatic Artful Dodger, the villainous Fagin, and the kind-hearted Nancy.
Tickets are available from £17 and can be purchased here: https://weymouthpavilion.com/shows/wow-presents-oliver/.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here