Fagin

One big dramatic role. Actors from across the world tell us what the part means and what it means to them. This time: Fagin.

Christopher Eccleston, Omid Djalili and Simon Lipkin tell stories of playing the part of Fagin, revealing how the character has evolved over time. They're joined by Mark Lester, who explains what it was like acting alongside the famous Fagin Ron Moody, and Mark Napolitano who discusses Fagin's performance history.

Fagin was first dreamt up by Charles Dickens in his 1838 work Oliver Twist. Dickens's depiction of the thief and gang leader is controversial, widely criticised for being an anti-Semitic caricature. And when the book was adapted for the screen by David Lean in 1948, Alec Guinness's portrayal of Fagin provoked a strong reaction from audiences. In the 1960s, a Jewish popular music composer named Lionel Bart decided to adapt the novel for the musical theatre stage. He re-imagined Fagin - helped by the actor who first performed the role, Ron Moody.

Actors who've played the part in recent times tell us Fagin's story and discuss their own performance choices. Simon Lipkin is currently performing the role in Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne's production in the West End - he discusses Fagin's journey through Bart's musical and explores what it's like to play the part as a Jewish actor. Omid Djalili performed the role back in 2009 and says at the time he was a "left-field choice" for the part. He examines why Fagin has endured as a character and explores the comic elements of the role. Christopher Eccleston played Fagin in the CBBC series Dodger, he explores the backstory of Fagin and his relationship with the children in his gang. Mark Lester, who was Oliver in the 1968 film adaptation of the musical, reveals what it was like to act with Ron Moody. And Mark Napolitano, author of Oliver! A Dickensian Musical, tells us how Fagin's final scenes differ greatly between Dickens's book and Bart's musical.

Produced by Camellia Sinclair and Sam Grist for BBC Audio, Bristol
Editor Emma Harding
Mixed by Ilse Lademann

Archive:

Oliver Twist, BBC Radio 2, 16th December 2005
Reader - David Warner
Abridger - Neville Teller
Producer - Neil Gardner

Oliver Twist: 2: Pickpocket!, BBC Radio 4, 10th February 1994
Bill Sykes - Tim McInnerny
Producer - Neil Bryant

The Best of Times - The Worst of Times, Part 1, BBC Radio 4, 17th April 1988
Fagin - Garard Green
Producer - Rosemary Hart

Oliver Twist, BBC TV, 7th January 1962
Fagin - Max Adrian
Oliver - Bruce Prochnik
Producer - Eric Tayler
Scriptwriter - Constance Cox

Oliver Twist, BBC TV, 1st April 1962
Fagin - Max Adrian
Producer - Eric Tayler
Scriptwriter - Constance Cox

Dodger: Episode 1, BBC Two,
Fagin - Christopher Eccleston
Dodger (Jack Dawkins) - Billy Jenkins
Director - Rhys Thomas
Executive Producers - Lucy Montgomery and Rhys Thomas

Additional archive:
The Royal Variety Performance: 1994, BBC One, 3rd December 1994 (featuring Jonathan Pryce as Fagin); Celebrate Oliver!, BBC One, 26th December 2005; The Musical: From Page to Stage, BBC Radio 2, 11th October 2010; Stuart: A Face Backwards, BBC Radio 4, 25th June 2012; Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 29th September 2005 (featuring clips from Oliver Twist [1948], dir. by David Lean featuring Alec Guinness as Fagin); Parkinson: Alec Guinness, BBC Two, 18th December 2007; In Town Tonight, BBC Network Radio, 9th July 1960; Frankly Speaking, BBC Network Radio, 21st June 1961; The Story of Musicals: Episode 1, BBC Four, 3rd January 2012; Opening Nights: 5: Oliver, BBC Radio 4, 9th July 2002; Oliver! [1968] - Official Trailer, dir. Carol Reed, Columbia Pictures; Oliver! [1968], dir. Carol Reed, writers Lionel Bart / Vernon Harris, featuring Mark Lester as Oliver, Ron Moody as Bill Sykes, Oliver Reed as Bill Sykes, Columbia Pictures; Live at the Apollo, BBC One, 21st December 2012; Celebrate Oliver!, BBC One, 26th December 2005 (featuring Ron Moody performing as Fagin - Reviewing the Situation, composed by Lionel Bart).

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