Leeds Playhouse has released exclusive footage (below) of the West End’s Jenny Fitzpatrick performing the ballad As Long As He Needs Me from Lionel Bart’s Oliver!
Jenny will play Nancy in James Brining’s production of the musical from November 24-January 27 at Leeds Playhouse.
In the exclusive performance, Jenny Fitzpatrick is accompanied by assistant musical director Jemma Starling in a stripped back, acoustic version of the love song. Jenny recently rocked audiences as Justice in Rock Of Ages and as music icon Tina Turner in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. In 2009 she was in the revival of the musical Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
"The thing that drew me to Nancy is her strength,” says Jenny. “She’s such a beautifully complex character with these incredibly strong morals. As a character, I find her very relatable and her struggles within this song are such a joy as an actor to play. She’s so beautifully vulnerable, yet still has that inner determination to never be seen as a victim.”
Lionel Bart’s award-winning musical, adapted from the Dickens novel, is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all British musicals, with memorable characters and well-loved songs.
The show's large adult compny in Leeds will be joined by a trio of young actors as orphan Oliver – Nicholas Teixeira, 9 from Manchester; Carter-J Murphy, 9 from Manchester and Theo Wake, 10 from Edinburgh. The Artful Dodger role will be shared by Felix Holt, 11 from Sheffield and Noah Walton, 13 from Stockton on Tees (pictured above). Noah was last seen at the Playhouse in 2022 when he starred as Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – The Musical. They are joined by a further 32 young people in teams playing Fagin's gang
Info and tickets here