Lucy Gill isn’t really a pickpocket – she just plays one on stage.
The 11-year-old Brackendale Elementary student landed a role in the Theatre Under the Stars production of Oliver, and Gill said it’s been a whirlwind of activity since she received the call back earlier this spring.
Gill will star as a workhouse orphan and a pickpocket in the Charles Dickens adaptation. She earned her spot auditioning against hundreds of others and said it was a thrill to be named to the production.
“It was very exciting to get a call back,” she said. “I wasn’t sure I would get in because there were so many talented people auditioning. But when I found out, I started crying. It was crazy.”
Every second day from July 10 to Aug. 22, Gill will hit the stage at the Malkin Bowl inside Stanley Park in Vancouver. Oliver director Shel Piercy said Gill has a star quality about her.
“I had heard very positive things about her from Annie [last year] and knew she was a tremendous talent,” he said. “Anyone who wants to be on stage, you have to have charisma – you can’t teach that – you have to be able to light up the room, and that’s Lucy. Her charisma lights up the stage all on her own.”
Piercy said the play has a wide appeal, and its message of income inequality still rings true today.
“The play has bigger-than-life characters that it uses as social commentary,” he said. “It’s an interesting parallel to today and it’s a great premise for a show. It’s a wide-ranging and energetic production and it should be a great night out for the whole family.”
Gill said she has read the young readers’ edition of Oliver Twist, the book on which the musical is based. She’s looking forward to interacting with the audience.
PJ Gill, Lucy’s mother, said that from what she’s seen, it’s going to be an outstanding show.
“It’s very high energy with lots of dancing and singing,” she said. “The cast is fantastic and has such a wide range of talented children and adults. It really has a 2015 twist to a story that is from that time. I think it’s going to be a great show.”
Lucy said she’s been grateful for the support of her family who has driven her to rehearsals, as well as her friends and the Squamish community in general. She said Melissa Braun from the Squamish Academy of Music (SAM) told her about the Oliver opportunity and has been a big part of her emerging talent.
“People in Squamish have been very supportive and so nice,” she said. “It makes me happy when people are happy for me, and Melissa has been so important.”
Lucy dances at Still Dancing and takes voice, guitar and piano at SAM.
She said she enjoys both the orphan and pickpocket roles, but the sassy nature of the pickpocket is especially fun.
“I like the dancing that we get to do with the orphan, but I like the cheekiness of the pickpocket,” she said, laughing.
Oliver kicks off with preview shows on July 11 and July 13, with opening night occurring on July 15. For more information on TUTS, visit www.tuts.ca.
