Oliver! - (4)

Last blog of this month : Gift ideas for Oliver!

To start at the very beginning – Food! All kinds of foods that are mentioned in the song, pease pudding (can be bought in tins), mustard, custard, cakes or sweets made to look like their savoury counterparts, strawberries (also mentioned in “Who Will Buy”). Perhaps even “Rennies” or similar indigestion remedies. These can be offered for all the children in the cast, whether they double as workhouse children and Fagin's gang or not, with the addition of sausages and fake gin (or ginger beer) for Fagin's boys.

For Fagin's boys too, wallets, handkerchiefs and coins, sweet watches and “jewellery”.

And for Dodger a top hat charm or phone charm, a lockable box (possibly also for Fagin) or if feeling really generous – a gold watch on a chain.

Mr and Mrs Sowerberry – again a top hat, with the addition of some black fabric as a mourning hat, or some Victorian mourning jewellery, possibly jet, depending on your budget.

Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney like their gin, so miniatures of London Gin might make good presents. And Widow Corney keeps a basket of kittens, so a little figurine of a cat, or a soft toy, for her.

The Drama Queen's Drawers has some horse brasses depicting the characters of Fagin, Oliver, Nancy and Mr Bumble, these are vintage items to be found in the Bottom Drawer category.

For Oliver whatever his gift, the wrapping and presentation could be “put in a box and tied up with a ribbon”, just as the lyric in “Who will buy?” suggests. A locket, books, friendship bracelet, strawberries and cream, or a love token.

For Nancy – small pleasures.

Oliver! - (2)

Our first introduction to the characters of this show is to that of Mr Bumble the beadle and Widow Corney, the workhouse mistress. Oliver is introduced through their perspective when he stands out from the crowd of boys by asking for more food. The wordy and fast “Oliver!” spells out the conditions under which the boys live, and the joy with which the power over them is wielded. Mr Bumble is definitely what today would be known as a “Jobsworth”, and Widow Corney is out for all she can get...including Mr Bumble.
Oliver isn't really established as a character until he has been introduced to the Sowerberrys, whose grim humour and cynicism is portrayed in “That's Your Funeral”.
Only once he is left alone in the funeral parlour does he start to show who he is with the solo song “Where is Love” and our sympathies are with him when he meets and is bullied by Noah Claypole. No wonder he cracks and runs away to seek his fortune in the big city of London. The place where runaways still believe their fortunes are waiting to be made, even if the streets are not exactly paved with gold.

The Artful Dodger and Fagin show us their fun side and we, like Oliver, are deceived into thinking these two are nice generous characters, who only want to help a poor little lost boy....the dark underbelly of the story is only hinted at briefly. We want to believe that Oliver is rescued from the workhouse, and the cruelty of the slavery there and at the funeral parlour, is a worse fate than that of Fagin's gang. So for the audience this is a fun, amusing and optimistic view of Dickens story.  Bill Sykes is the villain, the out-and-out baddie that heroic stories require, but Dodger and Fagin are ambivalent opportunists, rascals rather than mean and nasty criminals, caught up in the trap that poverty has set for them.

Bill Sykes doesn't appear in the stage musical until Act  2  when we are introduced to him with the spine-chilling song “ My Name” which does not feature in the film version. For me this song epitomised the character; as a chorus member in the pub singing along with gusto to “Oom-Pah-Pah” with Nancy, the change in atmosphere wrought by the music and Bill's appearance at the door to the pub always managed to make me shiver, regardless of the fact that the actor playing Bill Sykes was a friend off stage. This alone is enough to make us cheer his demise at the end of Act 2.

For a story about criminal gangs, poverty and brutality, this has become an extremely popular uplifting musical, enjoyed by many audiences, both young and old. When the innocent survive and the evil-doers get their just desserts, the fairytale of “happy ever after” is allowed to continue.

West Side Story (4)

This week I want to talk about the kinds of gifts that might be relevant to the characters and songs or dialogue in this show.

In general all kinds of 1950's related things, like jukeboxes, comic books, records, classic shaped coca cola bottles with metal tops, small plastic pocket combs for the men, powder compacts for the ladies and sweets from that era. Love hearts started production in 1954, Hershey's Kisses had been produced since 1907.

The gangs in West Side Story were based on real life events and characters . This article from the Telegraph of July 2008 tells the background stories .

 The Gang identities are helpful in deciding on gifts for the participants:
Jets:

Toy planes in the style of the 1950's, usually these would be fighter planes rather than jumbo jets, or simple paper or polystyrene planes that are sold for children's party bags.

Jet jewellery (a black semi precious stone that has a sheen to it but can be carved, this was popular in the Victorian era, so might be found in second-hand shops).

Sharks:

Toy sharks (think "A Shark Tale" or "Finding Nemo")
Even a blow-up water toy if you can find one.

From The Drama Queen's Drawers these cufflinks :

for Jets

and these
for Sharks

If you were feeling crafty and had time perhaps make friendship bracelets in the gang colours ; blue and yellow for the Jets, red and purple for the Sharks, or whatever your wardrobe colours are.


For Tony and Maria; all the usual love tokens are possible. Hearts, red roses, top hats and bouquets; (although there isn't a wedding the Bridal Shop allows some license here)
One Hand, One Heart, could mean a Claddagh ring (usually depicts a heart supported by a hand on either side)

For Anita ; All kinds of things that represent “America” (some stars and stripes charms here)
Dressmaker's scissors or sewing machine charm,  Bubble bath – Black Orchid if you can find it or re-label an exotically scented one.

For Chino ; a toy gun or revolver badge.

For Baby John ; a Superman comic

For Officer Krupke ; American police hat or handcuffs charm.

These are just a few suggestions; some of these, although not all, can be found in the West Side Story category of my website www.thedramaqueensdrawers.co.uk. along with some information (such as character names and a list of musical numbers) to help you find inspiration.
I add items to the different Musicals categories as I find them or as inspiration strikes, so if you are looking for something in particular please get in touch and I will help if I can.


I hope that any of you reading this who still have yet to take part in this incredible show get the chance to do so, for me it was the experience of a lifetime, and I love to share the joy and privilege that I felt.