Last year, Jack Philpott starred as Oliver in the original run of Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Oliver! at the Chichester Festival Theatre alongside Simon Lipkin as Fagin, Billy Jenkins as The Artful Dodger, Shanay Holmes as Nancy and Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes, with the musical directed by Matthew Bourne. Oliver! has transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End, with Jack reprising his role, which is currently booking until 2026, and he, along with some of his fellow cast members, performed at The Royal Variety Performance, where he met King Charles. Having made his West End debut as Eric in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre in 2022, Jack went on to perform in the National Theatre’s production of Roald Dahl’s The Witches last year as part of the original cast. Jack also has voiceover experience and voiced Digley in Go Buster!, Buster Saves Christmas and Buster’s Big Halloween. We spoke to Jack about starring as Oliver in Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre, being in the cast of a Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne production, performing in Roald Dahl’s The Witches last year and his time as Eric in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical for his West End debut.

You are currently starring as Oliver in the West End production of Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre, what is Oliver like to play and how is it performing the music and choreography?

Playing Oliver in Oliver! is a real privilege because it is such an iconic show. It is non-stop for me in act 1 as I am pretty much on stage from the opening number until the interval, but I love it. I enjoy the choreography as dancing is something I like doing and my favourite part is the duet with Dodger in Consider Yourself. The music is very well-known and every time I perform, it brings me great joy.

How is the run going so far and how is it seeing the audience response to the musical?

I am really enjoying the run so far and the audience reactions have been great – there is usually a standing ovation, which is uplifting. The reviews have been amazing and we are all proud.

What was it like rehearsing for the show and being directed by Matthew Bourne?

Rehearsals were fun, especially after the Chichester run because we knew the show so well. Matthew is amazing to work with and I have learnt a lot from him. He is always really supportive and I feel lucky to be directed by him and the team.

How did you feel booking the role for the original run at Chichester Festival Theatre last year and what was it like meeting the rest of the cast for the first time?

Since the first audition, I was really hoping to be considered for the role and so when I heard, I was happier than I’d ever been – I don’t think I believed it at first! On the first day of rehearsal, I was nervous but everyone made me feel welcome. I already knew some children from previous shows I had worked on, which was nice.

What did you enjoy most about performing in the show in Chichester and how has it been transferring to London?

Chichester Festival Theatre is a unique theatre as it has a thrust stage and I really liked the way they used the voms as part of the show. I loved performing on the CFT stage as it was nice seeing the audience to the side as well as in front and they felt part of the show. The stage is much smaller at the Gielgud so lots of changes were made by the creative team as they cleverly transferred the beautiful set.

How did you find the experience performing at The Royal Variety Performance and meeting King Charles?

It was a privilege to be chosen to perform at The Royal Variety Performance in November 2024 and an evening I will never forget. The choreography was slightly different to the show so we had a few rehearsals leading up to the night and it was exciting to be at the Royal Albert Hall with so many talented people and perform for HRH King Charles. To be honest, I was quite nervous when Simon Lipkin and I lined up to meet the King but I didn’t need to be as he was very kind and nice to talk to.

Can you tell us about your time working on the National Theatre’s production of Roald Dahl’s The Witches last year, and how was it being part of the original cast?

The Witches was so much fun! The whole cast were very talented and it was good to be part of a new show and workshopping new ideas. Lyndsey Turner was a fun director who gave us the opportunity to bring our ideas to the characters and I enjoyed giving vase a very posh voice!

In 2022, you joined the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre as Eric, what was it like making your West End debut with the production and how was it getting into character?

I was nine when I was cast in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical and couldn’t believe my luck. Eric is such a busy role because he is always crawling around the stage or being pushed around by Trunch. I was in the show for 12 months and learnt so much from the cast and creatives. My favourite memory was when Trunch stretched one of my ears so much it broke off so he had to tuck it inside my shirt and hope no one noticed!

What are some of your favourite memories from playing Eric in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical, and can you say about performing at Big Night of Musicals?

The Big Night of Musicals was fantastic! We had rehearsed for a while before the night so when we got to the arena, we were comfortable with the choreography and it was a great performance. I have never seen such a big crowd, it was an incredible experience.

We understand you voice the role of Digley in Go Buster!, Buster Saves Christmas and Buster’s Big Halloween, what is the franchise like to be involved with?

Moonbug are a wonderful company to work with and every session was fun. I used to like going to their studio in Camden to record songs and dialogue with the creative team as they were always patient and fun to be with. The offices had very cool ping pong tables and they always gave me merchandise to keep, which was kind.

What does a typical day in the recording studio look like for you when working on Go Buster! and how different do you find it to performing in theatre?

At Moonbug, I would usually do one to two hours recording at a time, which is way shorter than the theatre rehearsals and performances. The main difference is at the studio I was able to re-record something or do pick ups in the final edit, whereas at theatre it is live!

Can you tell us about some of the other projects you have been part of, which have included a music video for Kidz Bop?

I had a lot of fun at Kidz Bop shooting the music video. We had a rehearsal session with the Kidz Bop kids to get the choreography nailed and on the day, we enjoyed performing it together. I think Kidz Bop are a great brand as they are producing clean pop music for kids and spreading positivity.

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

No one in my family is an actor or singer but since an early age, I have really enjoyed performing. When I was six, my parents noticed how much I enjoyed singing and dancing so they signed me up to a local theatre group. One of my first experiences was performing in a local pantomime with my friend Grace King, who I am now performing with at the Gielgud!

Do you have any favourite theatre shows to watch and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?

I have watched quite a few theatre shows and my top three are Mrs. Doubtfire, Mean Girls and The Play That Goes Wrong.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I like bouldering and climbing so I tend to do that on my days off. I also like going on bike rides and roller skating.

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