How Liz Taylor auditioned for Oliver! in a loo
Oscar-winning actor geoffrey rush has been r eviewing t he si t uation and considers himself at home enough to portray Oliver! composer Lionel Bart in a movie musical.
The film will use Bart’s own songs to tell his rags-to-richesand-back-again story.
Director Vadim Jean is working with writer and composer Elliot Davis on the biopic.
Davis was one of several music students Bart hired to help him transcribe his scores.
‘it’s a full-blown musical, and we’re using versions of his songs in ways that you’ve never heard before,’ Jean told me.
By way of example, he recounted a story of how Elizabeth Taylor locked herself in Bart’s gold-painted loo and screamed that she wouldn’t come out until he cast her as nancy in the 1968 film of Oliver!
‘ she was sitting i n this opulent little room and she burst into i’ll Do anything! and he starts singing the song back at her.
‘we’re not sure if that scene’s staying or not, but the idea is to place the songs — some very well-known, others less so — into situations that help tell his story,’ Jean explained.
Despite her l oo audition, Taylor did not get the part of nancy. That role went to shani wallis.
rush, who won the academy award for his part in shine, has agreed to do the film and will play Bart in his later years.
now Jean, along with BBc Films executives and a casting director, are searching for an actor to portray the composer between the ages of 28 and 35. Bart was part of the London rock ’n’ roll scene in the late Fifties and early sixties, penning hits such as Little white Bull for Tommy steele and the chart-topper Living Doll for cliff richard.
He even wrote the title song for Bondfilm From russia with Love, which Matt Monro sang.
Once Jean has his Bart actors i n place, he wants to find people to portray Barbara windsor, george sewell, Miriam Karlin and others in the East End troupe assembled by Joan Littlewood at the Theatre royal, stratford East, for Bart’s Fings ain’t wot They Used T’Be.
Bart’s most famous shows include Oliver! and Maggie May — but there were also a
Rise and fall: Geoffrey Rush fistful of flops. when he had money, he spent it — and the film will show the devastating effect of hi s hedonistic behaviour.
He was forced to sell his homes but was able to survive because theatre producer cameron Mackintosh revived Oliver! in the early nineties, and passed on some of the profits. Bart died in 1999.
Peter Darling, the choreographer who won acclaim and awards for his contribution to Billy Elliot, Matilda and the current west End hit charlie and The chocolate Factory, is busy devising l arge - scale choreographic moments for the movie and Jean hopes to start filming this autumn.