Oliver Thornton
Encyclopedia
Oliver Thornton is an stage actor and singer who is best known for his contributions to musical theatre
in London's West End
. He currently stars in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre
.
, Monmouthshire
, Wales
. Whilst at school, he discovered an interest in performing and studied classical ballet from an early age. He gained further acting experience with the Abergavenny Amateur Operatic Society, or AAODS for short, which has recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
, before completing a BA Honours degree in Musical Theatre from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
.
Thornton has also sung with theatreland's first supergroup
, Teatro
(Sony BMG), during their live performances throughout England and Europe.
While in Starlight Express
's UK tour, Thornton's role was understudied by actor Tim Driesen
.
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|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2010
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Adam (Felicia) in Priscilla Queen of the Desert
|Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award
for "Best Supporting Actor in a Musical"
|
|-
|BroadwayWorld.com UK Award for "Best Leading Actor in a Musical"
|
|-
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. He currently stars in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Palace Theatre
Palace Theatre, London
The Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
.
Early life
Oliver Rhoe Thornton was born on 10 September 1979 in AbergavennyAbergavenny
Abergavenny , meaning Mouth of the River Gavenny, is a market town in Monmouthshire, Wales. It is located 15 miles west of Monmouth on the A40 and A465 roads, 6 miles from the English border. Originally the site of a Roman fort, Gobannium, it became a medieval walled town within the Welsh Marches...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Whilst at school, he discovered an interest in performing and studied classical ballet from an early age. He gained further acting experience with the Abergavenny Amateur Operatic Society, or AAODS for short, which has recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Training
Thornton began performing in South Wales, where he studied classical balletBallet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, before completing a BA Honours degree in Musical Theatre from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts
Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts is an independent drama school situated in the Wood Green area of North London. It was founded in 1945 by Peter Coxhead and Ralph Nossek as 'The Mountview Theatre Club', an amateur repertory company staging a new production for a six-day run every second week...
.
Theatre
Thornton's stage credits include:- Mark (RentRent (musical)Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
) – Duke of York's TheatreDuke of York's TheatreThe Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding... - Raoul (The Phantom of the OperaThe Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
) – Her Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre... - Enjolras (Les MisérablesLes Misérables (musical)Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
) – Palace TheatrePalace Theatre, LondonThe Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
and Queen's TheatreQueen's TheatreThe Queen's Theatre is a West End theatre located in Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster. It opened on 8 October 1907 as a twin to the neighbouring Gielgud Theatre which opened ten months earlier. Both theatres were designed by W.G.R... - Harrison (ChicagoChicago (musical)Chicago is a musical set in Prohibition-era Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal"...
) – Adelphi TheatreAdelphi TheatreThe Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals... - Rusty the Steam EngineRusty the Steam EngineRusty is a fictional character from the musical Starlight Express. He is the protagonist of the musical. Rusty is a steam engine, relegated to the sidings, who dreams of winning the Championship Engine of the World races. He is roundly mocked for this ambition, as steam is old fashioned, and...
(Starlight ExpressStarlight ExpressStarlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
) – UK tour - CB the Red CabooseCB the Red CabooseCB is a character from the musical Starlight Express. He's a crowd favourite but was removed from the New London and On Ice productions. He seems to have a split personality. Since he is the Caboose, he is willing to help the other trains with their work. Later on, he gets tired of helping them...
(Starlight Express) – BochumBochumBochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - Adam (Felicia) (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) – Palace TheatrePalace Theatre, LondonThe Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
Thornton has also sung with theatreland's first supergroup
Supergroup (music)
In the late 1960s, the term supergroup was coined to describe "a rock music group whose performers are already famous from having performed individually or in other groups"....
, Teatro
Teatro (band)
Teatro, Italian for "theatre", is a vocal group signed to the Sony BMG music label. The members of Teatro are Jeremiah James, Andrew Alexander, Simon Bailey and Stephen Rahman-Hughes.-Jeremiah James:...
(Sony BMG), during their live performances throughout England and Europe.
While in Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
's UK tour, Thornton's role was understudied by actor Tim Driesen
Tim Driesen
Tim Driesen is an actor, notable for roles in both musicals, plays and television serials. He has composed a full scale musical as well as a number of pop-songs. In 2007, he created the role of Adrian Banks in the Take That musical, Never Forget...
.
Awards and nominations
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|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2010
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|Adam (Felicia) in Priscilla Queen of the Desert
|Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award
Theatregoers' Choice Award
The Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards are organised by the theatre website Whatsonstage.com and recognise the performers and productions of British theatre with emphasis on London's West End. Nominations and eventual winners are selected by the theatre-going public....
for "Best Supporting Actor in a Musical"
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|BroadwayWorld.com UK Award for "Best Leading Actor in a Musical"
|
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