The streets of Victorian London are coming to life in Johannesburg.
Pieter Toerien, in association with Cape Town Opera and by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh, has announced the principal cast for Lionel Bart’s much-loved musical OLIVER!, which opens at the Teatro at Montecasino on 29 January 2027.
Directed by Steven Stead, the production promises to bring one of the most enduring stories in English literature to the stage with a combination of musical theatre talent, dynamic choreography, striking costumes and a story that continues to resonate across generations.
At the centre of it all is a young orphan searching for something many of us can relate to: a place to belong.
Jonathan Roxmouth takes on Fagin
Leading the production is one of South Africa’s most recognisable musical theatre performers, Jonathan Roxmouth, who steps into the role of the charismatic and cunning Fagin.
Roxmouth’s extensive stage credits include The Phantom of the Opera, EVITA, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sunset Blvd, A Handful of Keys, CATS, Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast, Key Change, Chicago the Musical and GREASE.
Opposite him, Bethany Dickson takes on the role of Nancy, the warm-hearted and courageous character at the emotional heart of the story.
Dickson’s credits include GREASE, BUDDY, The Buddy Holly Story, Sunset Blvd, Matilda and Singing in the Rain.
The cast also features Graham Hopkins as Mr Brownlow, William Berger as Mr Bumble and Richard Gau as the notorious Bill Sikes.
Meet the cast of OLIVER!
The principal cast brings together a strong line-up of South African theatre talent.
- Jonathan Roxmouth — Fagin
- Bethany Dickson — Nancy
- Graham Hopkins — Mr Brownlow
- William Berger — Mr Bumble
- Richard Gau — Bill Sikes
- Daniel Anderson — Artful Dodger
- Chris van Rensburg — Mr Sowerberry/Grimwig
- Dianne Simpson — Mrs Sowerberry/Bedwin
- Megan Spencer — Mrs Corney
- Sunny Yoon — Bet
The production will also feature a talented ensemble and 25 children, who will help create the colourful characters and bustling atmosphere of Victorian London.
The young performers who will play Oliver will be announced at a later stage.
A story about courage, hope and belonging
Based on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, OLIVER! follows a young orphan who escapes the harsh conditions of a workhouse and finds himself navigating the streets of 19th-century London.
His journey leads him to Fagin and his group of young pickpockets, including the Artful Dodger.
Along the way, Oliver encounters the troubled Bill Sikes and the compassionate Nancy, while searching for family, safety and a place he can call home.
It is a story filled with hardship, danger and uncertainty, but also friendship, compassion and hope.
That emotional balance is part of what has allowed OLIVER! to remain a theatrical favourite for generations.
And then there is the music
Of course, no production of OLIVER! would be complete without Lionel Bart’s unforgettable score.
Audiences can look forward to favourites including:
🎭 “Food, Glorious Food”
🎭 “Consider Yourself”
🎭 “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two”
🎭 “As Long as He Needs Me”
🎭 “Reviewing the Situation”
The songs have become synonymous with the musical, helping transform Dickens’ story into one of musical theatre’s enduring classics.
A new generation meets an old favourite
The production arrives at the TEATRO at Montecasino, providing a theatrical setting for a story that moves between the darkness of London’s workhouses and the colourful, chaotic world surrounding Fagin and his young companions.
With an experienced cast, a large ensemble and 25 children joining the production, the staging promises to create a vivid theatrical version of Victorian London.
But beyond the costumes, choreography and spectacle is the story’s central human message.
Oliver is looking for somewhere he belongs.
He is searching for kindness in a world that has not always shown him much of it.
And ultimately, his journey is about the power of hope when circumstances seem determined to take it away.
That is perhaps why OLIVER! continues to connect with audiences decades after its original debut.
A musical for old fans and new audiences
For those who grew up with OLIVER!, the Johannesburg production offers an opportunity to revisit a familiar classic with a new cast.
For younger audiences, it provides a chance to discover Oliver’s story for the first time.
The production is being positioned as a theatrical experience for the whole family, combining the spectacle of musical theatre with a deeply human story.
And with some of South Africa’s finest musical theatre performers taking centre stage, the production has plenty to look forward to.
OLIVER! at the Teatro
OLIVER! opens at the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg from 29 January 2027.
Tickets start at R220 per person.
Special advance group-booking discounts are available through the Theatre Box Office.
Event details
Production: OLIVER!
Venue: Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg
Opening: 29 January 2027
Tickets: From R220 per person
Director: Steven Stead
Presented by: Pieter Toerien with Cape Town Opera
Special arrangement: Cameron Mackintosh
Tickets can be booked through Webtickets.
For group bookings, contact the Theatre Box Office on 011 511 1988.
The stage is set. The cast has been revealed. And soon, the streets of Victorian London will have a new home in Johannesburg.
Consider yourself invited.
