Musicline School Musicals
Olivia! Cover

Olivia!

by Malcolm Sircom

Pricing & Order Info.

"Olivia is an absolutely fantastic show in every way."

Woods Foundation School - Nottinghamshire

"Better than 'Joseph'!"

Georgian Theatre Royal - Richmond - North Yorkshire

Ideal Cast Size 60
Speaking Roles 35
Minimum Cast Size 40
Duration (minutes)120

Why choose this Musical?

Editable Word Doc Script available

Make your own changes

35 speaking roles

Easily reduced to 23 speaking roles. Flexible cast size to suit YOUR group numbers, from 40 actors upwards. See "Casting" tab below for full details.

Any number of chorus parts

NEW! Band Parts available for the ultimate live performance

This show is sold with the following parts:

  • Full Conductor's Score
  • Flute 1 (with optional Piccolo)
  • Flute 2
  • Oboe
  • Clarinets 1, 2 and 3 (in Bb)
  • Alto Saxophone (in Eb)
  • Bassoon
  • French Horn (in F)
  • Trumpet (in Bb)
  • Trombone
  • Drum Set
  • Violin 1
  • Violin 2
  • Double Bass

The Trombone part comes in two versions - Trombone (Bass Clef) and Trombone in Bb (Treble Clef). The Bass Clef version will suit most players, but schools with a Brass Band tradition should opt for the Treble Clef version.

To view, click "HERE" or click "Band Parts" in the "Scripts & Songs" tab below.

Full Performance Piano/Vocal Score (Grade 8 Standard) available

Now republished. Encompasses Optional Overture, all Songs, Incidental Music, Cues and Chord Symbols. Click "Sample Performance Score (Piano/Vocal)" on the "Script & Songs" tab below.

Easy Play Rehearsal Piano/Vocal Score available (Grade 4 Standard)

Click "Easy Play Score" in the "Script & Songs" tab below.

CD of Backing Tracks available

No pianist required! This CD includes ALL Songs and Incidental Music in the order you need them. Ideal for rehearsals! Also enables production and direction to take place without specialist musical expertise.

CD of Vocal Tracks available for learning the songs

Very easy to costume and stage: adaptable

Detailed in "Script & Songs" below.

No fuss props

See "Script & Songs" below for full listing.

Full Production Notes

Check out the "Production Notes" in the "Script Sample" below for full details.

Age range: Key Stages 3 / 4 and 16+ Production (11-18 years)

NEW! Instant Scenery with our digital backdrops
A different backdrop for EVERY scene change

Supplied in both a PowerPoint presentation and as individual JPG files.

School Play Backdrop
No more Scenery Painting!

Senior Youth Theatre 120 minute version

This brilliant and innovative show, set in Victorian times, traces the steps of Olivia, from downtrodden orphan to star of the stage. On her journey to the bright lights of London, she is befriended by Eliza Doolittle (from "My Fair Lady") and, after a series of adventures becomes a singer in a new (satirised) 'Gilbert and Sullivan' show, thanks to the unlikely assistance of Fagin and The Artful Dodger.

Eliza and the flower-sellers are joined by other major female roles, and with orphans, "Poor School" girls, and essential chorus work, you will have no difficulty in casting this female-orientated show.

The boys, however, are not overlooked, with splendid cameos for George Bernard Shaw, Ebenezer Scrooge, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, along with chorus parts including Fagin's gang. This feel-good show abounds with Malcolm Sircom's well-known wit and humour, both in the script and the songs which are catchy, lyrical, and full of gusto, as well as advancing the story-line.

Watch out for an outbreak of audience handkerchiefs in the final scene! Then be prepared for a great reception for this wonderful musical. Running time, including interval, is approx. 2 hours, and CDs of both backing and vocal tracks are available.

Act One

Scene One - Mrs Murdstone's Orphanage For Girls

After the riveting opening number "Orphans", the cruel, tyrannical Mrs Murdstone introduces Olivia, a new orphan, who has been expelled from a local convent for misbehaviour (just girlish naughtiness). The girls fill her in about the horrible conditions, work (endless sewing) and food (cue the song "Slop!") Dicken, the handyman and slop-maker, not the brightest knife in the drawer, appears and dishes out the slop. Olivia revolts, goes up to Dicken & Mrs M, and asks for less slop, less work. Shock, horror! Mrs M threatens her with 'The Hole', a damp, underground cell, but Olivia runs off and manages to escape, to the orphans' cheers and Mrs M's wrath. The scene ends with a reprise of the song "Orphans".

Scene Two - A Country Lane

Olivia reflects on the cruelty of the adults she's met so far, and wonders if she'll find happiness anywhere as she sings the song "Happiness Somewhere". Dicken appears, having been sent by Mrs M to catch Olivia, but he proves to be quite nice. He says he would never return her to 'that hell-hole', and wishes her luck on her journey to London.

Scene Three - Covent Garden, London

The scene opens with a big chorus number: "London". Five flower-sellers are seated on the Covent Garden steps, among whom are Eliza Doolittle and Annie, a rather posh-speaking lady who has lost her memory of everything up to about ten years ago. Eliza sings "I Want To Be A Lady" and tells the other girls about a dream she had in which she was taught how to be a lady by a professor. Who should overhear her conversation but George Bernard Shaw, who thinks her dream might make a good play, and takes her to tea at the Ritz. The other girls have a chat, then, as business is slack before the opera, go to tea themselves at a cafe.

Fagin & The Artful Dodger enter, wondering how to earn a living and reminiscing in the song "Good Times" about the old days (before Oliver Twist undid them). Eliza & GB Shaw return from tea, and Olivia enters, new in London. Fagin & Dodger persuade her to ask GB Shaw for directions. As she does so, Dodger lifts GBS's wallet, and he and Dodger flee.

GBS is all for having Olivia arrested, until Eliza intervenes and calms him down. GBS then reveals it was a false wallet that only held two opera tickets, to which he couldn't go anyway. He leaves, having given both Eliza & Olivia a pound in apology for distrusting Olivia. Eliza takes Olivia under her wing, says she can stay with her that night, and in the morning she'll take her to meet Mrs Dilber, a benevolent old biddy who runs a school for girls. Feeling her luck may have changed, Olivia sings the song "Suddenly". They leave, and Fagin & Dodger enter. Dodger persuades Fagin that they should use GBS's tickets, and they sing "Let's Go To The Opera". During this song, which is the Act 1 Finale, the opera crowd enter and go in for the 'show'. Four hours later, they stagger out. Fagin has lost the will to live, but Dodger is enthusiastically galvanised, and decides he is going to be a singer. This big chorus number ends - inevitably - with the fat lady singing!

Act Two

Scene One - Mrs Dilber's Poor School for Girls

Mrs Dilber introduces today's lesson to the girls, through the opening Chorus number "That's Life!" Eliza, an old friend of Mrs D, introduces Olivia to her & the girls, then leaves. Olivia gets on splendidly. The routine is lessons in the morning, earning one's keep after that, in whatever way is suitable for each girl's talent. Asked what her particular talent is, Olivia replies she's only really good at singing, which is true. Asked to give an example, Olivia sings a little tune, "If There's A Star", which she's known all her life, but of which she only knows a few words. Mrs D decides her place will be in a charity-collecting group for the charity which begins at home! Then one of the girls, Dervla comes in, with laundry from Sweeney Todd the barber. Dervla being Irish, Olivia gets everyone to dance "The Irish Washerwoman" jig before Dervla opens Sweeney's bundle. Not only is it bloodstained, but a severed finger falls out! Olivia persuades Mrs D, who has a dodgy past and is at first reluctant, to take it to the police. Mrs D gives them all a holiday before the ensemble reprise the song "That's Life!"

Scene Two - Covent Garden

The flower sellers are chatting. Annie is late, as she fell downstairs and bumped her head. This brings back a memory of lying in a field with smoke and noise. The bump has jogged her amnesia, and Eliza takes her to see a friend of hers, who can help find out who she is.

Olivia and two girls enter. The two girls rattle their charity tins to little effect, so Olivia shows them how to do it, drawing a crowd as she leads the big chorus number "The Charity Rag". Ebenezer Scrooge enters, and she even gets him to contribute! This leads to a reprise of "The Charity Rag".

Everybody exits except Olivia. Fagin & Dodger enter. Lo and behold they've gone straight, and are singers with a Gilbert and Sullivan try-out. They need a young girl singer, and as Olivia fits the bill exactly, they persuade her to join them through the song "Be An Actor".

Scene Three - Sherlock Holmes's Study

Eliza introduces Annie to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson, and asks them to find out her identity. Holmes, bored and case-less at the moment, is delighted to take the task on. Annie, left alone, sings "Who Am I?"

Scene Four - The Savoy Theatre

[Purportedly a new Gilbert & Sullivan piece entitled "Trial by Judge".]

During the Song "Here Comes The Judge", the Judge (Fagin) enters and asks The Criminal (Dodger) to state his case. He (Dodger) sings "The Criminal's Song", a typical G & S quick patter song. The Judge is not inclined to clemency, unless someone can put forward mitigating evidence. The Daughter (Olivia) steps forward and, aided by the Chorus' appeal, sings "The Convict's Child". This tear-jerker reduces the whole court to tears, and the Judge releases the Criminal. After the Judge has left, the Criminal thanks the Daughter, pays her five pounds, and asks her what her name is! The ensemble briefly reprise "The Criminal's Song" to end the scene.

Scene Five - Covent Garden

Annie is having more flashbacks. Holmes and Watson arrive, and disclose that Annie was a victim in a train crash ten years ago, and are about to reveal more when Dodger, Fagin & Olivia appear, to applause, as new theatre stars. Olivia is asked to sing, and starts "If There's A Star", the 2nd line of which Annie takes over. It transpires that they are mother and daughter! Both then sing a reprise of "If There's A Star", creating the most emotional moment of the show.

Holmes and Watson enter, and tell Eliza that they know a Professor Higgins, who can make her dream come true. Mrs D and the girls then appear. Mrs D's dodgy record on police files has been expunged as a result of her exposing Sweeney Todd. Dicken enters, with news that the evil Mrs Murdstone has been deposed, and the place shut down. Finally, Ebenezer Scrooge amazingly offers drinks all round(!) and the whole company sing the Finale "Olivia" to bring the curtain down on this wonderful show.

Suggested Cast List For 60 Actors

In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines or a dance.

Character NameNumber of Lines
* Olivia/Daughter138
* Eliza Doolittle121
* Fagin68
* Mrs Dilber67
* Annie57
* Mrs Murdstone53
* Artful Dodger/Criminal45
Sherlock Holmes43
Dicken42
*Queenie39
George Bernard Shaw39
Flo35
Doris31
Judge24
Doctor Watson18
Orphan 117
Orphan 216
Ebenezer Scrooge14
Orphan 313
Orphan 412
Constable12
* Usher5
* Emily4
* Charlotte4
Girl 14
Girl 24
Mrs Hudson3
Lamplighter3
Dervla3
Girl 33
Girl 43
Katie3
Gentleman2
Belle1
Placard Girl1

Non Speaking Roles:

  • Chorus of 8 Orphans (Act One) who also play Poor Schoolgirls (Act Two)
  • Chorus of 8 Londoners/Opera-goers
  • 8 people to form Fagin's Ghost Gang, who also play Chorus in "Trial by Judge"
  • The Fat Lady (who sings solo).

(Chorus groups can be augmented further, as far as numbers allow)

Suggested Cast List For 40 Actors

In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines or a dance.

Character NameNumber of Lines
* Olivia/Daughter138
* Eliza Doolittle121
* Fagin
also plays Judge
92
* Mrs Dilber67
* Annie57
* Mrs Murdstone53
Dicken
also plays *Usher
47
* Artful Dodger/Criminal45
Sherlock Holmes43
*Queenie39
George Bernard Shaw39
Flo35
Doris31
Doctor Watson
also plays Lamplighter
21
Orphan 2
also plays Girl 1 (Belinda)
20
Orphan 1
also plays Belle
18
Orphan 4
also plays Dervla and covers the lines of Girl 3
18
Orphan 3
also plays Girl 2 (Little Dorrit)
17
Ebenezer Scrooge14
Gentleman
also plays Constable
14
Katie
also covers the lines of Girl 4 and Placard Girl
7
* Emily
also plays Mrs Hudson
7
* Charlotte4

Non Speaking Roles:

  • Chorus of 4 Orphans (Act One) who also play Poor Schoolgirls (Act Two)
  • Chorus of 6 Londoners/Opera-goers
  • 6 people to form Fagin's Ghost Gang, who also play Chorus in "Trial by Judge"
  • The Fat Lady (who sings solo).

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"The children loved doing this play . It's hilarious, shocking and heartbreaking . There's twist and turns which is very good . Olivia! is a great play and everyone enjoyed it ! "
Hanna Moorfield, Southampton Primary School, Southampton

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"This is now the second year I have produced Olivia! with pupils aged between 10-18. On both occasions the show was well received by the audience. The script is adaptable to individual circumstances and it is possible to have cast members playing multiple parts. The script is abound with humour, wit and backed up with lyrical and catchy musical numbers. The audience enjoy the references to well-known characters and are engaged fully from beginning to end. Highly recommended!"
Ryan Lowe, Tobermory High School, Isle of Mull

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"Our young cast had great fun rehearsing for this show and the funny script kept us adults amused throughout... a great refreshing change to perform something new and fresh !!! lots of surprise appearances along the way.... "
Giz Giz Youth Theatre project , Aberdeen

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"I'm doing this play at my school - I'm Eliza - and I love it! The flower sellers are guaranteed to make people laugh, and the orphanage scenes in the first half are very Victorian!"
Georgia Luckhurst, King's School , Rochester

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"I chose this show as we have a wide age and ability range of young people.. what a choice! It's a great vehicle for the experienced and more inexperienced alike. Great catchy songs that everyone found easy to learn and audiences loved. A very clever, witty script that our older ones thoroughly enjoyed having fun with. All our young people had a fantastic rehearsal period and show week with lots of tears when it ended from both cast and audience! Easy to stage and costume using very little scenery and props... so cheap too! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!"
Janet Philbrook, Director Stage Door Youth Theatre, Colne - Lancs

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"Performed in this show as part of the Lime Walk Players a few months back. It has a great script, so easy to remember, catchy songs that you will be singing even when the show's over, and needs very little in the way of staging, props, lighting, etc. The audiences were fantastic and on a couple of the evenings, the laughter seemed to be constant. Hardly a chance for them to catch breath between lines. I was proud to be part of this show (as Artful Dodger) and can't wait to see what the Players decide to do for the next show. I'm told it's likely to be by Malcom Sircom again. If so, I can't wait. It's bound to be brilliant! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!"
Roy Peach, Lime Walk Players, Oxford

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"My class are doing it and we love it! It is funny, musical, smart and very enjoyable! I am playing The Artful Dodger and I love my lines! My school is an all girls' school and we have great girls playing boys. Whoever reads this and is a teacher pick this play! There are really funny characters in this play. Anyway you should get this play for 11-14 year olds. Thanks for reading!"
Shelly - Cast Member, Our Lady of Mercy, Dublin, Ireland.

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"Fantastic for cast and audience. The best show I've directed; better than 'Joseph'."
Georgian Theatre Royal , Richmond - North Yorkshire.

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"Fantastic! Easy to put on with 30 year 7-10 pupils, costumes easy to assemble, dances easy to create - thoroughly enjoyed by all performers and excellent feedback from audience!"
Colin Quinton, Performing Arts Director.

5 Star Rating

Olivia!

"Olivia is an absolutely fantastic show in every way. The music is top drawer stuff (challenging and melodic with carefully constructed lyrics) whilst the script is funny with plenty of opportunities for creative direction. Well done Malcolm."
Woods Foundation School, Nottingham.

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  Downloads

Instant Downloads allow you to pay online with a Credit/Debit Card or PayPal and instantly download your materials as PDFs and/or MP3s.

Product Name Product Price Qty
Senior PDF Easy Play Rehearsal Piano/Vocal Score US$17.00
Senior PDF Performance Score (Piano/Vocal) US$17.00
Senior PDF Full Conductor Score US$27.00
Senior Script (Editable Word Doc) US$17.00
Senior Script (Non-editable PDF) US$14.00
Senior PDF & Word Doc Scripts US$21.00
Senior MP3 Backing Tracks Download US$14.00
Senior MP3 Vocal Tracks Download US$14.00
Senior Project it! (PowerPoint and JPGs) US$21.00

Band Part Download Band Price Qty
Senior PDF Flute 1 Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Flute 2 Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Oboe Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Clarinet 1 (in Bb) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Clarinet 2 (in Bb) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Clarinet 3 (in Bb) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Alto Saxophone (in Eb) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Bassoon Part US$11.00
Senior PDF French Horn (in F) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Trumpet (in Bb) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Trombone (Bass Clef) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Trombone (Treble Clef, Bb) Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Drum Set Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Violin 1 Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Violin 2 Part US$11.00
Senior PDF Double Bass Part US$11.00

  Posted

The traditional means of getting your items. Most of our works are RING BOUND books or CDs of recorded music.

U.K. schools can order posted items with a school order number.
This facility is available at the end of the ordering process.

All UK posted orders are now sent via Royal Mail's 24 hour, fully tracked service. You will receive a tracking number via email once we have despatched your goods.

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Product Name Product Price Qty
Senior Easy Play Rehearsal Piano/Vocal Score US$27.00
Senior Performance Piano/Vocal Score US$27.00
Senior Full Conductor Score (2 Books) US$43.00
Senior CD of Backing Tracks US$18.00
Senior CD of Vocal Tracks US$18.00
Senior Script US$27.00
Senior Pack of 5 Scripts US$65.00
Senior Pack of 10 Scripts US$100.00
Senior CD-ROM of Project it! US$27.00

Band Part Posted Band Price Qty
Senior Flute 1 Part US$17.00
Senior Flute 2 Part US$17.00
Senior Oboe Part US$17.00
Senior Clarinet 1 (in Bb) Part US$17.00
Senior Clarinet 2 (in Bb) Part US$17.00
Senior Clarinet 3 (in Bb) Part US$17.00
Senior Alto Saxophone (in Eb) Part US$17.00
Senior Bassoon Part US$17.00
Senior French Horn (in F) Part US$17.00
Senior Trumpet (in Bb) Part US$17.00
Senior Trombone (Bass Clef) Part US$17.00
Senior Trombone (Treble Clef, Bb) Part US$17.00
Senior Drum Set Part US$17.00
Senior Violin 1 Part US$17.00
Senior Violin 2 Part US$17.00
Senior Double Bass Part US$17.00

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Size of your School Size Price of Licence Price Qty Qty
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Size of your School Size Price of Licence Price Qty Qty
Senior & Youth Theatre Video Licence (Only one required) US$71.00