• OLIVER TWIST by Charles Dickens
• A Production of TNT Theatre Britain
• Performed in English with Chinese subtitles

<Beijing>

Time: 7:30PM, 20, 21, 22 March 2009
Venue: Mei Lanfang Theatre
Price: RMB 580, 380, 280, 180, 120, 80

Time: 7:00PM, 17, 18, 19 April 2009
Venue: Peking University Theatre, Beijing
Price: RMB 200, 150, 120, 100,80, 60

Ticket Booking: +86 010 6551 6930, 6551 6906, 64068888
www.piaowutong.com

<Guangzhou>

Time: 2:30PM / 8:00PM, 28 March 2009
8:00PM, 29 March 2009
Venue: Chamber Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Guangzhou
Price: RMB 260,180,100
Ticket Booking: +86 020 87353857, 87353869, 87352222-886
www.concerthall.com.cn

Presented by:  Milky Way Arts & Communications Co. Ltd                                                                                                                 
Supported by:  Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy

Oliver Twist

An adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic tale. Oliver and the Artful Dodger, orphans living penniless on the streets of London, are trained to steal for their pickpocket master Fagin.

Oliver Twist has been described as the first modern novel. It is one of the few novels who’s characters have entered into modern myth.  Oliver, Fagin, Bill, Nancy and the Artful Dodger can claim to be some of the best known literary creations outside of Shakespeare. The enormous energy of these characters and the full bloodied portrait of the first modern urban nightmare, London, make the story not only exciting and dramatic, but also truly contemporary.

The themes and social issues raised by Dickens are as relevant today as when it was first published over one hundred and fifty years ago. The central theme is the link between poverty and crime. Beyond that it explores the way society treats its weakest members.  

Dickens’ style is highly theatrical, and indeed he himself gave dramatic readings of much of OLIVER TWIST to huge audiences in Britain and the USA. Dickens’ style switches between the almost documentary to the comic, from action packed narrative to emotional drama.

TNT sweeps away the sentimentality of so many versions and presents the story through the eyes of Fagin as he stands on the gallows awaiting execution. The story is his last attempt at justifying his life of crime. The audience too must answer if he was indeed at fault. Is he a criminal or a victim? Does he care for his boy thieves or does he exploit them?

In addition to powerful drama, comedy and fast moving action, the production has been highly praised for it’s a capella score by the composer Thomas Johnson (who score for Shakespeare’s MEASURE FOR MEASURE is currently being performed by the Royal National Theatre in Britain). The action is developed through integrated song, using complex and exciting five part harmony. The director of TNT is Paul Stebbings, whose recent productions include MACBETH, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST , THE WIZARD OF JAZZ and BRAVE NEW WORLD.

Having received uniformly positive reviews in its first outing, this is TNT’s second tour of OLIVER TWIST.  The first tour thrilled audiences from Tokyo to Berlin to Scotland—and soon Beijing..

TNT Theatre

TNT theatre was founded in 1980 in Britain and since has established itself as one of the most popular international touring theatre companies in the world. Last season alone the company produced seven productions in almost thirty countries worldwide, ranging from Shakespeare classics such as ROMEO & JULIET to their own new play HITLER KILLED MY CANARY, from works by contemporary artists such as Paul Auster’s MOON PALACE to the classic seasonal show: Dickens’ CHRISTMAS CAROL. Since 1993 the company has been in collaboration with the American Drama Group Europe. The artistic director of TNT is Paul Stebbings, whose work has won many awards at, for example, the Munich Biennale, the Edinburgh Festival, the Tehran Festival and from the government of Singapore. Other notable festivals in which the company has participated are the International Off-Broadway Festival in New York, the Tokyo International Theatre festival and the summer festival of the British National Theatre. TNT has also collaborated on co-productions with major venues such as the Athens Concert Hall and the St Petersburg State Comedy Theatre.

The company style aims to integrate all the performing arts. TNT productions always include a specially commissioned score by a leading composer. The director always works with a choreographer and the ensemble actors are chosen for their ability to cross the disciplines of theatre, music and dance.

International Tour

TNT, in collaboration with ADGE has dominated English language theatre in Germany since 1993.  TNT gives over 500 performances a year in all the major towns and most of the major theatres. The summer 'Castle tour' spends over four weeks each summer performing outdoors in German castle and palace courtyards.

TNT gives some fifty performances a year in major theatres of Switzerland and Austria. In summer the company visits many Swiss and Austrian castles for open air theatre performances.

TNT has been touring Japan since 1992 and has given more foreign language performances in more venues than any other non-Japanese company.

TNT is the only English Language theatre to perform regularly in major theatres nationwide in France.

TNT has toured Scandinavia since 1986. The summer castle tour is particularly successful and extends up to northern Norway. While Norway and Sweden are the heart of the company's work in the region, there have also been regular and comprehensive tours of Finland.  Denmark’s Rosenberg Castle in Copenhagen is a centerpiece of the annual Castle Tour.

TNT's first foreign performance was in Amsterdam, Holland at the Melkweg Theatre and Club in 1981.  This has evolved into a regular circuit in Belgium and Luxembourg, where they are the leading foreign theatre ensemble.

TNT works in high profile venues and festivals with the cooperation of the Athens Concert Hall, and the Volos Centre for Music Theatre of Greece.

TNT began collaboration with the National theatre of Malta in 2003 and began to tour Italy in 2004. TNT has toured Spain for fifteen years, concentrating on Madrid and TNT presents on average 12 weeks of performances a year in the Czech Republic with most of the performances in Prague. The company performed in Slovakia in 2004 and 2005 and toured 20 cities in Poland in 1989 and 1992.

TNT toured Russia from 1990 – 1997, and toured Ukraine twice, being the first foreign theatre company to perform in several Ukrainian theatres since the Revolution.

TNT performs annually the Gulf states of Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Dubai.  At the Fajr Festival in Tehran (the Muslim World's largest Arts Festival) TNT won first prize for HAMLET in 2004. 3000 people saw HAMLET in Iran and 2000 visited MACBETH in Kuwait.

TNT has performed in either Singapore or Hong Kong every year since 1994, and received Singapore National Youth Arts Achievement award in 2004.

TNT has presented theatre on two occasions in the USA. “1945!” ran for two weeks at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre in the Off Broadway Festival in New York.  In Atlanta, MACBETH was performed in the ruins of the old plantation house.

Press Review

Astonishingly inventive and wonderfully unpredictable, their visual inventiveness defies description.” -THE SCOTSMAN
-Edinburgh Festival

“TNT embodies all the qualities of British theatre.” -SUDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
-Munich

“Touring theatre at its best”. -SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
-Hong Kong

“Highly effective and charismatic theatre.” -VILLAGE VOICE
-New York

“If young people need to be persuaded to go to the theatre this is the company to see.” -SUDKURIER
-Germany

“The most entertaining play at this year's festival.”-THE LIST
-Edinburgh.

“Despite the fact that the company performed in English the state comedy theatre was packed out every night. We have seen nothing like this dynamic style of theatre.” -ENTRE ACT MAGAZINE
-St Petersburg.