The Stage

Prenger wins Nancy role in West End Oliver! revival

Published Monday 2 June 2008 at 10:45 by Matthew Hemley

Jodie Prenger will take the role of Nancy in Cameron Mackintosh’s forthcoming production of Oliver!, after winning the public vote in Saturday night’s final of I’d Do Anything.

The 28-year-old from Blackpool beat fellow finalists Jessie Buckley, who finished second, and Samantha Barks, who came in third.

Prenger will now join Rowan Atkinson as Fagin in the new production of Oliver!, which will open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in December. She will appear alongside Laurence Jeffcoate, Gwion Jones and Harry Stott, who were chosen by Mackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webber to star as Oliver following this year’s BBC programme.

Mackintosh said: “She’ll give a terrific performance and I really look forward to putting her into training and getting her into rehearsals.”

Lloyd Webber added that audiences loved Prenger’s “open personality” and said: “I think they relate to that personality and I think that’s what makes her Nancy for the public. Her strengths are her personality and her very, very strong voice.”

During Saturday’s final, the three finalists each performed a solo and a duet with one of the winning Olivers. All three performed Maybe This Time from Cabaret together.

Speaking about her win, Prenger said: “You have genuinely given me my dream, I can’t actually put into words how I feel. I’m so grateful and so chuffed. I’m just Jodie from Blackpool and to be here is my dream.”

An average of 5.1 million tuned in to the main show on BBC1, with around 6.9 million watching the results show.

Meanwhile, 11 million viewers tuned in for the main show of ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent, with an average of 13.1 million watching the results. The audience for the results show peaked at 14.4 million.

George Sampson, a 14-year-old break dancer, was named as the winner, taking home a £100,000 prize. He will now appear at the Royal Variety Performance.