Full casting has been announced for a stage adaptation of Michael Rosen’s much-loved children's book Unexpected Twist – itself an adaptation of Dickens' Oliver Twist, for a UK tour that takes it to The Lowry in Salford (May 2-7) and Blackpool Grand (May 23-27).
Unexpected Twist picks important themes from Oliver Twist and drags them into the modern age. Shona and her class are studying Oliver Twist. She’s new in school and keeps finding herself in trouble – much like Oliver himself. When she’s given a new phone by a stranger, she begins to suspect there’s something fishy about the new kids she’s met...
The show features original beatbox, hip-hop and grime musical numbers from rising R&B star Yaya Bey and BAC Beatbox Academy’s Conrad Murray. The cast includes Kate Donnachie (Aladdin) as Desree; Alex Hardie (Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster) as Gazz; Rosie Hilal (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as Miss Cavani; Drew Hylton (Annie) as Shona; Nadine Rose Johnson (Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster) as Rosie; Polly Lister (The Worst Witch) as Nan/Lorraine; Alexander Lobo Moreno (GrimeBoy) as Tino; James Meteyard (Coriolanus) as Pops; Liyah Summers (Our Lady Of Kibeho) as Rasheda, and Thomas Vernal (The Book of Mormon) as Dad.
Michael Rosen said: “I've already seen a draft script and it leapt off the page. I could immediately see it as being a funny, tough, edgy, contemporary, powerful show. I'm desperate to see it!”
More info here