Charley Bates?

Tumnus1031 · Charley Bates?

So, I was just cast as Charley Bates in my school's production of Oliver! and I was wondering, what kind of a character is he? How many scenes does he have? Is he fun to play?

Help would be appreciated. Smile

BroadwayObssessed

He's pretty much Dodger's sidekick. He's an orphan. He doesnt have any solos.
He has a couple lines.
He's in the chase scene at the end of act one and in all the orphan scenes...singing in be back soon, consider yourself, pick a pocket or two, fine life, i'd do anything, and if they double cast the orphans as workhouse kids, you'll be in Food, Glorious Food, and Oliver.

Tumnus1031

Some of the gang are double-cast as the workhouse boys, but I'm not.

Does Charley have any lines during the chase scene? This is kinda important as it has an effect on the script I received yesterday and whether or not it's okay.

ActingDude17

Charley has no said lines in the Chase Scene...wait. Does he say, "Stop thief!" (directed to Oliver) with Dodger to divert attention? I think he does. Or did my director just add that?

The way our MD did it was he changed it so Charley sang a lot with Dodger in Consider Yourself and the end of Be Back Soon. He really bumped up the part.

Just play it that you're Dodger's right hand man. Here's some inspiration...maybe play Charley as if he thinks he can overthrow Dodger, or maybe wants to. That'd be a nice idea.

Tumnus1031

Well, the girl playing Dodger's about 5' 4" and I'm 5' 10"...so I probably could if I wanted to. One of my friends said that she should be the speed and I'm the muscle (like her bodyguard or something) before he realized that she probably weighed more than I did. Razz

I'll probably just have to wait and hope that either I get a better part (the guy playing Sowerberry's quitting) or he makes the part better like you said. Even if he doesn't, though, I'm fine with it.

music is my life!!!

he has the infamous nose-rags joke with fagin in the first scene with the gang.

Trevor Harder · Charley Bates

I am directing "Oliver!" for the second time, in a production to be staged in Spain in November 2008.
Charley is Dodger's sidekick as you have been told. It will depend on your director of course, but my Charley will also get the lines listed for "Captain". He also will sing the odd solo line in my "Consider Yourself"
Good luck and enjoy!

mantarnia

On the subject of "consider yourself". If you are using the original score he has no solo sung lines. But if you are using the paladium revival score he does.

Trevor Harder

The 1994 London Palladium version is now the only authorised version available; the original is technically obsolete. It doesn't take a great deal of imagination for any director to give Charley something. Mine is doing the lines in the song and in the script for Captain and gang boy.
It's not something I want to agonise about, I was just trying to help the original enquirer. End of story.

music is my life!!!

he's basically onstage whenever the gang's onstage, but has a smaller part than dodger, but a larger part than the "gang" parts

Tumnus1031

Well, we're actually using the "original," I think, because Charley has no explicitly stated solos in 'Consider Yourself.' I don't have any extra stuff yet, but because I'm so tall, the director added me as a bargoer for 'Oom-Pah-Pah' and a chorus member for 'Who Will Buy?' And frankly, I'm fine with it. But if he decides to be nice and give me a solo, that'll be even better.

Tumnus1031	Charley Bates? So, I was just cast as Charley Bates in my school's production of Oliver! and I was wondering, what kind of a character is he? How many scenes does he have? Is he fun to play? Help would be appreciated.
BroadwayObssessed	He's pretty much Dodger's sidekick. He's an orphan. He doesnt have any solos. He has a couple lines. He's in the chase scene at the end of act one and in all the orphan scenes...singing in be back soon, consider yourself, pick a pocket or two, fine life, i'd do anything, and if they double cast the orphans as workhouse kids, you'll be in Food, Glorious Food, and Oliver.
Tumnus1031	Some of the gang are double-cast as the workhouse boys, but I'm not. Does Charley have any lines during the chase scene? This is kinda important as it has an effect on the script I received yesterday and whether or not it's okay.
ActingDude17	Charley has no said lines in the Chase Scene...wait. Does he say, "Stop thief!" (directed to Oliver) with Dodger to divert attention? I think he does. Or did my director just add that? The way our MD did it was he changed it so Charley sang a lot with Dodger in Consider Yourself and the end of Be Back Soon. He really bumped up the part. Just play it that you're Dodger's right hand man. Here's some inspiration...maybe play Charley as if he thinks he can overthrow Dodger, or maybe wants to. That'd be a nice idea.
Tumnus1031	Well, the girl playing Dodger's about 5' 4" and I'm 5' 10"...so I probably could if I wanted to. One of my friends said that she should be the speed and I'm the muscle (like her bodyguard or something) before he realized that she probably weighed more than I did. I'll probably just have to wait and hope that either I get a better part (the guy playing Sowerberry's quitting) or he makes the part better like you said. Even if he doesn't, though, I'm fine with it.
music is my life!!!	he has the infamous nose-rags joke with fagin in the first scene with the gang.
Trevor Harder	Charley Bates I am directing "Oliver!" for the second time, in a production to be staged in Spain in November 2008. Charley is Dodger's sidekick as you have been told. It will depend on your director of course, but my Charley will also get the lines listed for "Captain". He also will sing the odd solo line in my "Consider Yourself" Good luck and enjoy!
mantarnia	On the subject of "consider yourself". If you are using the original score he has no solo sung lines. But if you are using the paladium revival score he does.
Trevor Harder	The 1994 London Palladium version is now the only authorised version available; the original is technically obsolete. It doesn't take a great deal of imagination for any director to give Charley something. Mine is doing the lines in the song and in the script for Captain and gang boy. It's not something I want to agonise about, I was just trying to help the original enquirer. End of story.
music is my life!!!	he's basically onstage whenever the gang's onstage, but has a smaller part than dodger, but a larger part than the "gang" parts
Tumnus1031	Well, we're actually using the "original," I think, because Charley has no explicitly stated solos in 'Consider Yourself.' I don't have any extra stuff yet, but because I'm so tall, the director added me as a bargoer for 'Oom-Pah-Pah' and a chorus member for 'Who Will Buy?' And frankly, I'm fine with it. But if he decides to be nice and give me a solo, that'll be even better.

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Charley Bates?

Charley Bates