Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

It premiered in the West End in 1960, enjoying a long run, a successful Broadway production in 1963 and further tours and revivals. It was made into a musical film in 1968. Major London revivals played from 1994-1998 and again from 2008-2011.

Background[link]

Oliver! was the first musical adaptation of a famous Charles Dickens work to become a stage hit. (Besides the fame of Oliver Twist, another reason for the success of the musical was the revolving stage set, designed by Sean Kenny.^[1]) There had been two previous Dickens musicals in the 1950s, both of them television adaptations of A Christmas Carol.

The plot of Dickens' original novel is considerably simplified for the purposes of the musical, with Fagin being represented more as a comic character than as a villain, and large portions of the latter part of the story being completely left out. (It may well be that Bart based his musical on David Lean's film, rather than Dickens' book.) Although Dickens' novel has been called antisemitic in its portrayal of the Jew Fagin as evil, the production by Bart (himself a Jew) was more sympathetic and featured many Jewish actors in leading roles: Ron Moody (Ronald Moodnik), Georgia Brown (Lilian Klot), and Martin Horsey.^{[citation needed]}

Synopsis[link]

Act I[link]

The musical opens in the workhouse, as the half-starved orphan boys are entering the enormous lunchroom for dinner ("Food Glorious Food"). They are fed only gruel. Nine-year-old Oliver (actually identified as thirteen in the libretto but generally played as much younger, as in the Dickens novel) gathers up the courage to ask for more. He is immediately apprehended and is told to gather his belongings by Mr. Bumble and the Widow Corney, the heartless and greedy caretakers of the workhouse ("Oliver!"). Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney are left alone, and Mr. Bumble begins to make amorous advances. Mrs. Corney pretends to resent his attentions ("I Shall Scream!"), but ends up on Mr. Bumble's lap, kissing him. Oliver comes back and is promptly sold ("Boy for Sale") and apprenticed to an undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry. He and his wife taunt Oliver and Mr. Bumble ("That's Your Funeral"). He is sent to sleep in the basement with the coffins, something which makes him visibly uncomfortable. ("Where is Love?").

The next morning bully Noah Claypole, who oversees Oliver's work, insults Oliver's dead mother, whereupon Oliver begins pummeling him. Mrs. Sowerberry and her daughter, Charlotte run in, and become hysterical. Mr. Bumble is sent for, and he and the Sowerberrys lock Oliver in a coffin, but during all the commotion Oliver escapes. After a week on the run, he meets the Artful Dodger, a boy wearing an oversize coat and a top hat. He beckons Oliver to join him ("Consider Yourself"). Dodger is, unknown to Oliver, a boy pickpocket, and he invites Oliver to come and live in Fagin's lair. Fagin is a criminal, and he is in the business of teaching young boys to pick pockets. Oliver, however, is completely unaware of any criminality, and believes that the boys make handkerchiefs rather than steal them. Oliver is introduced to Fagin and all the other boy pickpockets, and is taught their ways ("You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two").

The next day, Oliver meets Nancy, the live-in girlfriend of the evil, terrifying Bill Sikes, a burglar whose abuse she endures because she loves him. Nancy and Oliver take an instant liking to each other, and Nancy shows motherly affection toward him. Bet, Nancy's younger sister (her best friend in Dickens' novel and the 1968 film), is also with her. Nancy, along with Bet and the boys, sing about how they don't mind a bit of danger ("It's a Fine Life"). At the end of the song, Oliver is introduced to Nancy and Bet. Oliver bows deeply, trying to be polite. All the boys laugh and mimic Oliver, trying to be proper. Nancy says that they are anything but proper, but then singles out Dodger to demonstrate the way the rich people treat each other ("I'd Do Anything"). Nancy and Bet leave and Oliver is sent out with the other boys on his first pickpocketing job ("Be Back Soon"), though he still believes that they are going to teach him how to make handkerchiefs. Dodger, another boy pickpocket named Charley Bates, and Oliver decide to stick together, and when Dodger and Charley rob Mr. Brownlow, a wealthy old man, they run off, leaving Oliver to be arrested for the crime ("The Robbery").

Act II[link]

In the Three Cripples pub, Nancy is called upon to sing an old tavern song ("Oom Pah Pah"). Brutal housebreaker Bill Sikes makes his first appearance, and disperses the crowd, ("My Name"). It emerges that Nancy is in love with him. Dodger runs in and tells Fagin about Oliver being captured before being subsequently cleared of the crime and taken in by Mr. Brownlow. Fagin and Bill decide to kidnap Oliver to protect the whereabouts of their den. Nancy, who pities Oliver, refuses to help, but Bill physically abuses her and forces her into obedience. In spite of this, Nancy still loves Bill, and believes he loves her too ("As Long As He Needs Me").

The next morning, at Mr. Brownlow's house in Bloomsbury, Ms. Bedwin, the housekeeper (who sings in the stage version, but not in the film), sings to Oliver, ("Where Is Love? [Reprise]"), and Oliver wakes up. Mr. Brownlow and Dr. Grimwig discuss Oliver's condition. They come to the conclusion that he is well enough to go outside, and Mr. Brownlow sends Oliver on an errand- he asks him to return some books to the library. From his window, Oliver sees a group of street vendors and joins them in song once he steps outside ("Who Will Buy?"). As the vendors leave, Nancy and Bill show up and grab Oliver. They bring him back to Fagin's den, where Nancy saves Oliver from a beating from Sykes after the boy tries to flee but is stopped. Nancy angrily and remorsefully reviews their dreadful life, but Bill maintains that any living is better than none. Fagin tries to act as an intermediary ("It's A Fine Life [Reprise]"). When Sykes and Nancy leave, Fagin, who also wants out, humorously ponders his future ("Reviewing the Situation"). However, every time he thinks of a good reason for going straight, he finds a better reason for staying a criminal. Back at the workhouse, Mr. Bumble and the Widow Corney, now unhappily married, meet up with the dying pauper Old Sally and another old lady, who tell them that Oliver's mother, Agnes, left a gold locket (indicating that he comes from a rich family) when she died in childbirth. Old Sally stole the locket and now gives it to the Widow Corney. Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney, realizing that Oliver may have wealthy relatives, visit Mr. Brownlow in order to profit from any reward given out for information of him ("Oliver! [Reprise]"). He throws them out, knowing that they have suppressed evidence until they could get a reward for it. Brownlow looks at the picture inside the locket, a picture of his daughter, and realizes that Oliver, who knows nothing of his family history, is actually his grandson (Oliver's mother had disappeared after having been left pregnant by her lover, who jilted her).

Nancy, terrified for Oliver and feeling guilty, visits Brownlow and promises to deliver Oliver to him safely that night at midnight on London Bridge - if Brownlow does not bring the police or ask any questions. She then ponders again about Bill ("As Long As He Needs Me [Reprise]"). Bill suspects that Nancy is up to something. That night, he follows her as she sneaks Oliver out, although in the stage version it is never made clear how he knew exactly when to do this. At London Bridge, he confronts them, knocks Oliver temporarily unconscious, and brutally clubs Nancy to death (in alternative stagings of the show, he either strangles her, stabs her, or slits her throat, but the musical's original libretto follows the Dickens novel in having her beaten to death). He then grabs Oliver, who has since revived, and runs offstage with him, presumably back to the hideout to ask Fagin for getaway money. Mr. Brownlow, who had been late keeping the appointment, arrives and discovers Nancy's body. A large crowd soon forms, among them the distraught Bet. Bullseye, Bill's fierce terrier, returns to the scene of the crime and the crowd prepares to follow him to the hideout. After they exit Fagin and his boys, terrified at the idea of being apprehended, leave their hideout in panic. Not finding Bill at the hideout, the anxious crowd, now whipped up into a thirst for justice, returns to the Thames Embankment, when suddenly Bill appears at the top of the bridge, holding Oliver as hostage and threatening to kill him if the crowd tries to take him. Unseen by Bill, two policemen sneak up on him. One of them fatally shoots Bill and the other grabs Oliver as Bill releases him. Oliver is then reunited with Mr. Brownlow. The mob, still eager for vengeance against this underground criminal network, begins a mad search for Fagin. When one of the members of the crowd suggest that he may be at the Three Cripples pub, they disperse offstage in order to track him down. As the crowd exits, Fagin sneaks on and decides that, after years of pickpocketing and training junior pickpocketers, the time has never looked better for him to straighten out his life.

Songs[link]

Productions[link]

Original London production[link]

Oliver! premiered in the West End at the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) on June 30, 1960 and ran for 2,618 performances.^[2] Directed by Peter Coe, the choreographer was Malcolm Clare and costumes and scenery were by Sean Kenny. The original cast featured Ron Moody as Fagin, Georgia Brown as Nancy, and Barry Humphries in a small comic role as Mr. Sowerberry, an undertaker. Keith Hamshere (the original Oliver) is now a Hollywood still photographer (Star Wars etc.); Martin Horsey (the original Dodger) works as an actor/director and is the author of the play L'Chaim. The cast also included Tony Robinson as one of the Workhouse boys/Fagin's Gang, and John Bluthal (now best known as The Vicar of Dibley's Frank Pickle) as Fagin. Former professional boxer Danny Sewell ( brother of television actor George Sewell ) was the original Bill Sikes, and remained in the role ( including the original Broadway & US touring productions ) for the best part of six years. Danny Sewell's main competitor at audition for the role of Sikes was Michael Caine, who later stated he "cried for a week" after failing to secure the part.

The part of Nancy was originally written for Alma Cogan, who despite being unable to commit to the production, steered a great many producers to invest in it.^{[citation needed]}

Original Broadway production[link]

The musical previewed in the U.S. with a 1962 national tour and premiered on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre on January 6, 1963. It closed on November 14, 1964, after 774 performances.^[3] The cast featured child actor Bruce Prochnik in the title role alongside Georgia Brown, reprising her West End role as Nancy, and Clive Revill, replacing Ron Moody, as Fagin. The national tour featured Michael Goodman as The Artful Dodger, but on Broadway the role was played by future Monkee Davy Jones (who appeared in the role on The Ed Sullivan Show the night of The Beatles first appearance). The Broadway production was a critical success and received ten Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical and Best Featured Actor in a Musical. It won the awards for Best Scenic Design, Best Original Score and Best Music Direction. The Broadway production was revived shortly after the original production closed. The revival opened in 1965 and was directed by Peter Coe. It ran at the Martin Beck Theatre for 64 performances. It featured Victor Stiles as Oliver, Robin Ramsay as Fagin, Maura K. Wedge as Nancy, Joey Baio as The Artful Dodger, Dominic Chianese as Mr. Sowerberry, Alan Crofoot as Mr. Bumble, Danny Sewell as Bill Sikes, Bram Nossen as Mr. Brownlow, and Dodi Protero as Mrs. Bedwin.

Georgia Brown, Davy Jones, Bruce Prochnik, Alice Playten, and Clive Revill appeared performing two musical numbers ("I'd Do Anything" and the Act II reprise of "As Long As He Needs Me") from Oliver! on The Ed Sullivan Show on the evening of February 9, 1964, the same evening that the Beatles made their first U.S. television appearance on that show. ^[4]

1977 London revival[link]

Cameron Mackintosh revived Oliver! in London for the first time in 1977. It played at the Albery Theatre (the renamed New Theatre; now the Noel Coward Theatre), starring Roy Hudd as Fagin, which ran for over two years. This production was totally faithful to the 1960 original version, using Sean Kenny's set. Indeed, the original production's sepia background painted on the rear stage wall was still extant.

1983 London and Broadway revivals[link]

Mackintosh was asked to revive the show yet again in 1983 for a limited five-week Christmas season at the Aldwych Theatre, directed by Peter Coe. Ron Moody returned as Fagin, with Jackie Marks as Nancy, Linal Haft as Bill Sikes, Meg Johnson as Mrs Corney, Peter Bayliss as Mr Bumble, and Geoffrey Toone as Mr Brownlow. Oliver was played by Anthony Pearson, and the Artful Dodger by David Garlick. The original Sean Kenny sets were used. The last professional production to use Sean Kenny's original stage design was at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, Essex, in 1986. This production starred Victor Spinetti as Fagin.

The 1983 London revival of Oliver! transferred to Broadway in 1984. It opened at The Mark Hellinger Theater and ran from April 29, 1984 through May 13, 1984, for 17 performances and 13 previews. Ron Moody reprised the role of Fagin and Patti LuPone played Nancy. David Garlick reprised his West End performance as The Artful Dodger, the first British youngster to appear on Broadway since Davy Jones, creating the Equity Exchange Program in the process. The original creative staff were used for this production, including director Peter Coe.

LuPone, in her memoirs, said that the production should have run longer, noting that this production utilized the original sets, costumes, blocking (staging), and direction, and commented: "Hmm...maybe 'that' was the problem".^[5] Moody was nominated for a Tony Award despite the short run. The show only received one negative review; it was from Frank Rich of the New York Times, who called the production "likely to hold the attention of only the youngest and most obedient children" and "just dull."^[6] It prompted one of the main backers to pull out. The positive reviews were quoted in the ad for the show, including a Clive Barnes quote: "'Oliver!' Is glorious food for Broadway".^[7]

LuPone had asked the show's Musical Director to change her keys because they were too low for her, but was told she could not. She wrote that she "had major battles with the musical director", one concerning the term "vamp"; "he never waited for me to finish my dialogue."^[5]

1994 London revival[link]

Cameron Mackintosh produced another revival of the show which opened at the London Palladium in the West End on December 8, 1994. The production team included a young Sam Mendes as director, with Anthony Ward as designer, Matthew Bourne as choreographer, Martin Koch as music supervisor and William David Brohn as orchestrator. The cast included Jonathan Pryce (after much persuasion) as Fagin, Sally Dexter as Nancy, Miles Anderson as Bill Sikes, James Villiers as Mr. Brownlow, James Saxon as Mr. Bumble, Jenny Galloway as Widow Corney, David Delve as Mr. Sowerberry and Julia Deakin as Mrs. Sowerberry. The role of Oliver was played by numerous child actors during the run of four years, including Gregory Bradley, James Daley, Andrew James Michel, Jon Lee and Tom Fletcher, while the Artful Dodger was played by Adam Searles, Paul Bailey and Bronson Webb. The role of Bet was played by Danielle McCormack, Rosalind James and Francesca Jackson.^[8] The musical closed on February 21, 1998.^[9]The role of Fagin was later played by many notable British actors and comedians including George Layton, Russ Abbot, Jim Dale and Robert Lindsay (who won an Olivier Award for his performance in 1997). Bill Sikes was later portrayed by Steven Hartley and Joe McGann, and Nancy by Sonia Swaby, Claire Moore and Ruthie Henshall.

The show was a lavish affair and moved from its original intimate melodramatic feel to a more cinematic and symphonic feel that would accommodate an audience familiar with the 1968 motion picture. This production featured brand new music and lyrics written by Lionel Bart, and also additional dialogue not featured in the original script, added by Bart and Sam Mendes. Other updated elements include the addition of a prologue, in which the audience is witness to Oliver’s harrowing birth. The dialogue was homage to both the 1948 and 1968 film versions of the story which were in turn based on the original novel. New music arrangements and dance sequences were added to various songs, most notably "Consider Yourself" and "Who Will Buy?". Tempos for some of the musical numbers were altered (notably "It's a Fine Life", "I'd Do Anything" and "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two"), while other incidental numbers were drastically rewritten, including the London Bridge chase sequence. Interestingly, a new intermediate scene was added just after "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two", in which Bill Sikes enters the Thieves’ Kitchen and “negotiates” with Fagin.

2009 London revival[link]

A production heavily based upon the 1994 Palladium production opened in London’s West End on 14 January 2009. Produced once again by Cameron Mackintosh, this revival was directed by Shakespeare expert Rupert Goold and choreographed/co-directed by Matthew Bourne. Anthony Ward repeated his acclaimed scenic and costume designs while William David Brohn joined the team as orchestrator, revising some of the musical arrangements. The new production opened to rave reviews at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, receiving positive feedback from critics throughout London.^{[citation needed]} Designer Anthony Ward created a new cobblestone effect for the entire stage while the orchestrations were expanded with new dance arrangements given to Consider Yourself and Who Will Buy? as well as new curtain call/exit music. The prologue from the Palladium production was removed, and the show now opens as it originally did in 1960, with the workhouse children entering, singing Food Glorious Food.

British comedian Rowan Atkinson played Fagin. He had played the role in a school production but had turned it down in the Palladium revival. Burn Gorman played Bill Sikes, making his West End musical debut. The leading roles of Nancy and Oliver were cast via the BBC reality television show series I'd Do Anything. Three actors shared the role of Oliver: Laurence Jeffcoate, Harry Stott and Gwion Wyn Jones. Robert Madge played The Artful Dodger. Jodie Prenger won the role of Nancy, shared with Australian Tamsin Carroll, who played two performances each week. Sarah Lark, a runner-up on I’d do Anything understudied the role. Royal Shakespeare Company actor Julian Glover played Mr. Brownlow with Julian Bleach as Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig, Louise Gold as Mrs. Sowerberry, Julius D’Silva as Mr. Bumble and Wendy Ferguson as Widow Corney. The revival was nominated for three 2010 Olivier Awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Atkinson) and Best Theatre Choreography, but failed to win any.

When Rowan Atkinson fell ill in April 2009, Russ Abbot stepped in to the play the role.^[10] Abbot had starred in the 1997 Palladium run. In July 2009, British comedian Omid Djalili replaced him as Fagin,^[11] receiving positive reviews. In December 2009, Griff Rhys Jones took over as Fagin, with Steven Hartley as Bill Sikes.^[12] Hartley had played Sikes in the 1997 Palladium production. In March 2010, Kerry Ellis took over the role of Nancy, also receiving positive reviews.^[13] At the same time, Bleach, D’Silva and Ferguson were replaced by Jason Morell, Christian Patterson and Claire Machin, respectively. In June 2010, Russ Abbot took over as Fagan. Stephen Moore was a replacement for Mr. Brownlow. Ron Moody, the original Fagin, joined the cast at the end of the performance on June 14, 2010, in celebration of the show's 50th Anniversary. Griff Rhys Jones returned as Fagin in December 2010.

The production closed on January 8, 2011, to be replaced at the theatre by the original London production of Shrek the Musical.^[14]

2011 UK Tour[link]

It was announced that the 2009 London revival produced by Mackintosh, which closed in January 2011, would embark on a national tour of the UK. With a brand new set and brand new direction, it starred Neil Morrissey and Brian Conley who will share the role of Fagin, with Samantha Barks as Nancy for the first six months (Samantha came third in reality TV show I'd Do Anything, which was won by Jodie Prenger). The tour was confirmed to be playing 11 venues throughout 2011-13, starting at the Wales Millenium Centre in Cardiff from December 10, 2011. Barks, who was to play Nancy for the first six months, played the role through March 2012, to begin filming for the film version of Les Misérables, and Cat Simmons was cast as Barks' replacement.

International productions[link]

In 1983, a new production of Oliver was the first musical produced by Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre as part of its inaugural season as a self-producing theatre.

The Australian tour was a successful trip through Sydney, Melbourne, and Singapore from 2002 to 2004. The show, which mirrored Sam Mendes' production, was recreated by Graham Gill. John Waters (the actor, not to be confused with John Waters, the director) portrayed Fagin, Tamsin Carroll was Nancy, and the production also featured Stuart Wagstaff, Steve Bastoni and Madison Orr and Keegan Joyce in the title role, which was rotated between the two. The role of the Artful Dodger was shared between Matthew Waters and Tim Matthews.

A North American tour began in 2003, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and Networks. It ran till March 2005 and played most major theatrical venues in the U.S. and one in Canada. The show was directed by the London team which managed the Sam Mendes version in London and the Australian tour, with Graham Gill as director.^[15] The cast included Mark McCracken as Fagin, Renata Renee Wilson as Nancy, and Justin S. Pereira Oliver Twist.^[16] In October 2008 Columbia Artists Theatricals mounted a new North American National tour directed by Clayton Philips. The production toured until March 2009.

The first Estonian production of the show was presented in the early 1990s in Tartu. A revival ran in November–December 2003 with Aivar Tommingas as Fagin and Evelin Samuel as Nancy. The musical was performed also twice in Israel in 1966 and 2008 starring Shraga Fridman and Rivka Raz in the first production and Sasson Gabai and Anya Bukshtein in the second. In December 2010 a Dutch language version of the musical opened in Gent, Belgium, to be transferred at the end of the same month to Antwerp. In 2011 a Syrian production is to be performed at the Damascus Opera. In 2012 a new production will be staged, in Dubai, UAE (First Group Theatre)

Principal characters[link]

• Oliver Twist, the protagonist of the story. He is a lonely orphan boy born in the workhouse.
• Fagin, a conniving career criminal, takes in homeless boys and teaches them to pick pockets for him.
• Nancy, Bill Sikes's lover. She takes a liking to Oliver and treats him like her own child, but is eventually murdered for the steps she takes in behalf of him.
• Mr. Brownlow, Oliver's grandfather, a kind man of wealth and breeding.
• Bill Sikes, Nancy's brutal and abusive lover, a burglar and her eventual murderer.
• Mr. Bumble, the pompous beadle of the workhouse in which Oliver was born.
• The Artful Dodger, the cleverest of Fagin's pickpockets, he introduces Fagin to Oliver.
• Mr. and Mrs. Sowerberry, the insensitive couple who take in Oliver and use him in their funeral business.
• Mrs. Corney, the matron of the workhouse where Oliver was born, later marries Mr. Bumble.
• Charlotte Sowerberry, the rude but also flirtatious daughter of the Sowerberrys.
• Noah Claypole, The Sowerberrys' apprentice, he bullies Oliver about his mother and enjoys a flirtatious relationship with Charlotte.
• Dr. Grimwig, foppish doctor and friend of Mr. Brownlow. He assesses Oliver's condition at the beginning of Act II, deeming him fit to go outside.
• Bet, Nancy's friend [or younger sister, in some productions], one of Fagin's former pickpockets.
• Charley Bates, one of Fagin's pickpockets. He is Dodger's sidekick.
• Mrs. Bedwin, house-servant to Mr. Brownlow and caretaker of Oliver.

Film Adaptation[link]

In 1968, the show was adapted for film, with a screenplay by Vernon Harris and direction by Carol Reed. It starred original Fagin Ron Moody with Jack Wild, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Mark Lester and Harry Secombe. The 1968 motion picture won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, and received nominations for both Moody and Wild. It was first telecast in the United States by ABC-TV in 1975. The film went to cable in the US in 1982, and it is still regularly broadcast.

Recordings[link]

The score of Oliver! has been recorded numerous times. There are cast recordings (on compact disc) available for the original 1960 and 1963 productions as well as the 1968 film and the 1994 and 2009 London revivals. The 2009 London cast album was recorded live on opening night.

There are several studio cast recordings of the show including one with Stanley Holloway and Alma Cogan and another with Josephine Barstow and Julian Forsyth. A new version with Julian Forsyth was issued recently, and Sally Ann Triplett replacing Barstow.

Stage casts[link]

The following table gives the principal casting information for the major productions (both original and revival) of Oliver!.

Note: in the case of the 1994 revival, the casting information above gives only the Oliver and Artful Dodger who performed on opening night. There were two actors playing Oliver and the Artful Dodger during the 1994 Palladium run.

Awards and nominations[link]

Original Broadway production[link]

1984 Broadway revival[link]

1994 London revival[link]

2009 London revival[link]

Sequel[link]

Dodger!, a sequel to Lionel Bart's Oliver! was composed by Andrew Fletcher with the book and lyrics written by David Lambert. It is set seven years after the events in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens where the Artful Dodger has been sentenced to an Australian penal colony and has a romantic involvement with the character Bet.^[18]

References and notes[link]

Study notes can be found at the National Arts Centre (Canada) website at http://www2.nac-cna.ca/en/englishtheatre/studyguide/oliver

External links[link]

• Oliver! The Musical Official site
• Internet Broadway Database listing for all Broadway productions
• Oliver! plot and production information, guidetomusicaltheatre
• Theatre Royal Drury Lane London
• justjohn productions taking Oliver! to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2009

The surname Oliver is of several different origins.

Etymology[link]

The surname Oliver is derived from the Old French personal name Olivier. The Oliver surname (meaning "seller, or processor of olive oil") seems to be French Norman in origin. The Olivers were probably part of William the Conqueror's Norman Invasion of Britain in 1066. The Oliver family was a sept of the Scotland Highlands' powerful Fraser Clan and was a very powerful clan themselves in Roxburghshire and the Borders area. It arrived in Scotland and Ireland in the 14th century. This Old French name was introduced to Scotland and Ireland by the Normans. During the Middle Ages, it was a popular name throughout Europe. It was borne by one of Charlemagne's paladins, and friend of Roland.^[1] Ostensibly, the name is said to derive from the Latin olivarius, meaning "olive tree".^[2] However, all of Charlemagne's paladins bore Germanic names;^[2] and the Latin derivation of the name may be a result of folk etymology working on an unidentified Germanic personal name, possibly a cognate of Álvaro;^[1] or possibly distantly connected with the Old Norse Óleifr, meaning "ancestral relic".^[2]

The Catalan and (Occitan) French surname is a topographic name. It is derived from oliver (pronounced [uliˈβe, oliβe, oliˈve(ɾ)]), meaning "olive tree". It may also be related to the homonymous name listed above.^[1]

People[link]

A[link]

• Adam Oliver (1823–1882), Canadian businessman-politician
• Al Oliver (b. 1946), baseball player
• Alan Oliver, English sports journalist
• Andrew Oliver (1706–1774), Massachusetts merchant and public official
• Alexander Oliver (1744–1828), American soldier
• Anton Oliver (b. 1975), New Zealand rugby player

B[link]

• Barret Oliver (born 1973), American actor
• Bernard M. Oliver (1919–1995), eminent American scientist and SETI advocate
• Bob Oliver (born 1943), baseball player
• Brian Oliver (born 1968), basketball player

C[link]

• Catriona Oliver(born 1980), Australian Olympic rower
• Chad Oliver (1928–1993), science-fiction novelist
• Craig Oliver (born 1938), Canadian telejournalist
• Craig Oliver (born 1969), Downing Street Director of Communications and former BBC media executive

D[link]

• Dale Oliver, American composer
• Damien Oliver (born 1972), Australian jockey
• Daniel Oliver (1930–1916), British botanist
• Darren Oliver (born 1970), baseball pitcher
• David Oliver (actor) (1962–1992), American actor
• David Oliver (Canadian politician), politician in British Columbia, Canada
• David Oliver (athlete), American athlete
• Dean Oliver (basketball) (born 1978)
• Dean Oliver (footballer) (born 1987), player for Sheffield United
• Deanna Oliver, American actress
• Donald Oliver (born 1938), Canadian Senator

E[link]

• Edna May Oliver (1883–1942), American character actress

F[link]

• Farquhar Oliver (1904–1989), Canadian politician
• Francis Wall Oliver (1864–1951), British botanist
• Frank Oliver (politician) (1853–1933), Canadian politician
• Frank Oliver (rugby union) (b. 1948), New Zealand rugby player
• Frank A. Oliver (1883–1968), New York Congressman
• Frank L. Oliver (b. 1922), Pennsylvania politician

G[link]

• Gene Oliver (1913–2007), American catcher and first baseman in Major League Baseball.
• Geoffrey Oliver (1898–1980), British admiral
• George T. Oliver (1848–1919), American lawyer, publisher, and Republican party politician
• Glynis Oliver, artist and colorist in the comics industry
• Graham Oliver, English guitarist.

H[link]

• Harry Oliver (1888–1973), American humorist
• Harry Oliver (ice hockey) (1898–1985), Canadian
• Henry Oliver (1865–1965), British naval officer

I[link]

• Ian Oliver, former police officer, now an international consultant for the United Nations
• Isaac Oliver (c. 1565–1617) French-born English portrait miniature painter

J[link]

• Jack Edward Oliver (1942–2007), British cartoonist
• Jackie Oliver (born 1942), Formula One driver
• James Harrison Oliver (1857–1928), a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy
• James Michael Yorrick Oliver, Lord Mayor of London from 2001 to 2002
• Jamie Oliver, (b. 1975), British celebrity chef
• Jamie Oliver (musician), of Lostprophets
• Jimmy Oliver (born 1969), basketball player
• Joe Oliver (baseball player) (born 1965), catcher
• Joe "King" Oliver (1885–1938). African-American jazz musician and bandleader
• John Oliver (politician) and farmer in British Columbia, Canada
• John Oliver (comedian), British political comedian
• John Ertle Oliver, (1923–2011), American scientist (aka Jack Oliver)
• Jools Oliver; née Juliette Norton, wife of British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver
• Joseph Oliver (mayor), mayor of Toronto 1908–1909
• Joseph Oliver (rugby league), rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s
• Despot Jovan Oliver (ca. 1310–1356), Serbian nobleman and autonomous ruler
• Juan García Oliver (1901–1980), Spanish Anarcho-syndicalist revolutionary

L[link]

• Laureen Oliver, New York political activist

M[link]

• Mark Oliver (born 1966), voice actor
• Martin Oliver, British children's author
• Mary Oliver (born 1936), American poet
• Meg Oliver (born 1970), TV news anchor
• Melvin Oliver (born 1983), football player
• Michael Oliver (Carleton president), (1925–2004) Canadian academic leader
• Michael Oliver (actor), American actor
• Michael Oliver (footballer), Scottish football player and manager
• Michael Oliver (Lord Mayor), Lord Mayor of London (2001–2002)
• Michael Oliver (real estate), founder of the Republic of Minerva
• Michael Oliver (writer, broadcaster) (1937–2002)

N[link]

• Nancy Oliver (born 1955), American playwright and screenwriter
• Neil Oliver, Scottish historian
• Neil Oliver (footballer), English footballer
• Nicole Oliver, Canadian actress

O[link]

• Oliver (singer) (1945–2000), American pop singer (né William Oliver Swofford)

P[link]

• Pam Oliver (born 1961), American sportscaster
• Paul Oliver (born 1927), British architectural historian
• Paul Ambrose Oliver (1830–1912), American Civil War Union general and Medal of Honor recipient
• Peter Oliver (painter) (1594–1648), English miniaturist painter

R[link]

• Robert Don Oliver (1895–1980), British naval officer
• R. W. Oliver, the first chancellor of the University of Kansas
• Rachel Oliver, New Zealand international football (soccer) player
• Raymond Oliver (1909–1990), Parisian restaurateur
• Reggie Oliver (born 1952), English playwright
• Revilo P. Oliver (1908–1994), American professor, conspiracy theorist and white supremacist
• Richard Martin fitz Oliver, actually Richard Martyn (c. 1602–1648), Irish politician
• Robert Oliver (born 1950), New Zealand Olympic cyclist
• Roland Oliver (born 1923), professor of African history

S[link]

• Sally Oliver (born 1983), English actress
• Sheila Y. Oliver (born 1952), New Jersey legislator
• Simon Oliver, British comic book writer
• Solomon Oliver Jr. (born 1947), United States federal judge
• Stephen Oliver (Jr), pseudonym of English writer William Andrew Chatto (1799–1864)
• Sir Stephen Oliver (born 1938), retired British judge
• Stephen Oliver (1941–2008), American actor
• Stephen Oliver (1950–92), British composer
• Stephen Oliver (born 1948), retired Anglican bishop
• Professor Stephen Oliver, British biologist and biochemist
• Steven Oliver (born 1971), former Australian rules footballer
• Susan Oliver (1932–90), American actress and aviatrix, noted for appearing in Star Trek
• Sy Oliver (1910–1988), American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader

T[link]

• Tom Oliver (born 1938), Australian actor
• Thomas Oliver (Canadian politician) (1821–80), Canadian businessman and political figure
• Thomas Oliver (Lieutenant Governor) (1733–1815), the last Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts
• Tommy Oliver (musician) (1932–2006), American musician and music producer
• Tony Oliver (born 1958), American voice actor
• Troy Oliver, musician-songwriter

V[link]

• Vaughan Oliver (born 1957), British graphic designer
• Vic Oliver (1898–1964), Austrian actor-comedian; Winston Churchill's son-in-law

W[link]

• W. H. Oliver (born 1925), New Zealand poet-historian
• Walter Oliver (1883–1957), New Zealander ornithologist
• William Oliver (disambiguation), multiple people
• Winslow Oliver (born 1973), National Football League running back

See also[link]

• Oliver (family name)
• All pages beginning with "Oliver"
• All pages with titles containing "Oliver"

References[link]

Gemma Hayes
Background information
Born	(1977-08-11) 11 August 1977 (age 34)
Origin	Ballyporeen, Tipperary, Ireland
Genres	Alternative rock, indie rock, folk
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Source Records (2001–2005)[1] Second Motion Records (2008–present) Fullfill Music (2012-present)
Website	http://www.gemmahayes.com

Gemma Claire Hayes (born 11 August 1977, Ballyporeen, Tipperary, Ireland) is an Irish singer-songwriter and member of The Cake Sale.

Early life[link]

One of eight children, Hayes was surrounded by music from an early age, both from any of her seven siblings' bedrooms and being played by her father, a keyboardist in a local band. By the time she left for boarding school in County Limerick, Hayes was already proficient at piano and found that the music used to counter the boredom of living in a small village.^[2] Although she enrolled at University in Dublin, Hayes soon left to concentrate on music, working part-time in a laundrette during the day and playing the city's circuit at night.^[1]

Music career[link]

Hayes signed to the French independent record label, Source Records in 2001, and issued the 4.35am EP and the Work to a Calm EP before releasing her debut album, Night on my Side, in 2002.^[1] In 2002 she won Best Female Singer at the Hot Press Awards. The album was nominated for the 2003 Mercury Prize but lost out to Ms. Dynamite's, A Little Deeper.^[1] After touring Night on my Side Hayes took two years out from the music industry; "All I do know is that I didn't want to listen to music at all. I stopped listening to the radio. It was like I'd overdosed on music".^[3]

In late 2005, Hayes returned with her second album, The Roads Don't Love You, and picked up the Best Irish Female Artist award at the 2006 Meteor Ireland Music Awards, while completing a small tour of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Shortly after this she left Source Records parent company EMI-Virgin as EMI-Virgin was undergoing an overhaul of artists and bands.^[1] During this time Hayes co-wrote the song "Hazy" with Adam Duritz.

On 14 August 2006 Hayes announced, via her MySpace profile,^[4] that she had begun work on her third album in the Black Box Studios in France, to be produced by her former guitarist, David Odlum.^[1] Hayes posted demo versions of a few of the songs on MySpace during recording, including "Out of Our Hands", "Home", and "This Is What You Do".

Gemma Hayes kicking off The Hollow of Morning tour at Cyprus Avenue, Cork City 22 April 2008

Hayes' third album The Hollow of Morning was independently-released on 2 May 2008 in Ireland, and debuted at number 12 in the Irish Albums Chart.^[1] Following this she signed a recording contract with the United States record label, Second Motion where The Hollow of Morning was released in the US on 30 September 2008. Second Motion works with Daniel Lanois, Adam Franklin of Swervedriver, Brian Vander Ark and others.

Whilst on her 2008 UK tour, Hayes announced that she planned to release an acoustic album by the end of 2008, thought the album has never surfaced. During this time during some promotional work and touring Hayes confirmed that she would start recording her fourth album in August 2008.^[5]

In January 2009, it was announced that Hayes had been nominated for Best Irish Female, at the 2009 Meteor Ireland Music Awards, which took place on 17 March 2009 in Dublin. She lost out to Imelda May. On 13 February 2009 she released her new music video for the song "Home" on Myspace; the track was from her 2008 release The Hollow of Morning. On 19 February 2009 she performed at the Oscar Wilde party in Los Angeles, California. The annual event takes place days before the Oscars, and celebrates the best of Irish popular culture.

On 22 February 2009 it was stated on her website that her new EP Oliver will be available for purchase on 9 March 2009.^[6][7] However, it was subsequently announced on Myspace on 9 March that the EP's release had been delayed. A new track called "Ghost" appeared on Myspace the same day.

On 13 March 2009 Oliver was released on iTunes.

On 14 April 2009 it was announced on her Myspace blog ^[8] that Hayes began to write new material for the next album.

On 3 September 2009 Gemma performed at the 2012 stage at the 2009 Århus Festival.^[9] Her set-list featured new songs Waiting for You and Shock to the System.

On 20 October 2009 Gemma confirmed through her Twitter page that she was recording new material in France in the Blackbox studios.^[10]

On 19 November 2009 Gemma began a short European tour with performances in Austria, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. During these tour dates Gemma played new songs including Tokyo, Waiting for You and Shock to the System. At her gig in Cork on 3 December, Gemma performed a cover of Kate Bush' "Cloudbusting".

On 22 December 2009 Gemma released her cover of "Cloudbusting" for free from her website.^[11]

In March 2010, Gemma featured on Ceol 2010^[12] a special album in the Irish language. Gemma previously appeared on Ceol 2007. On the Ceol 2010 album Gemma's song Rith me go Crich appeared on the album alongside Bell X1, Kila, The Walls.

Gemma Hayes originally stated on Irish music site Muzu TV that her yet to be titled fourth album would be released in September 2010.^{[13][dated info]}. However, in October 2010 on Tom Dunne's radio show on Newstalk 106-108, Gemma Hayes said that her new album will not be released until early 2011.^[14] In an interview with Irish music website State.ie she confirmed that the album would be released in mid-Spring 2011 either late February or March.^[15]

Gemma Hayes has written some original music for the 2010 movie Janie Jones, by writer/director David M. Rosenthal. Abigail Breslin sings and plays her music. The three songs to appear in the film will include Just a Game, Fight for Me and Hurricane.^[16]

Gemma Hayes returned to live performances in autumn 2010. She launched her autumn tour in Cork City, Ireland were she performed some new tracks which included Noise, Hurricane and Beside Me.

On Thursday, 13 February 2011, Gemma Hayes confirmed on RTE Radio 1's Today with Pat Kenny that her fourth studio album would be released sometime in May 2011 and that she would tour Ireland in early summer 2011.^[17] It was later confirmed on gemmahayes.com that the fourth album is due for May release with a single due mid-Spring as recording in Ireland and France neared completion.^[11] Gemma confirmed that 'Shock to the System' will appear on the album.^[18] On 15 March 2011 Gemma confirmed on her Twitter account that a track called Noise will feature on the album.^[19] On 10 April 2011 Gemma confirmed through her website that the new album will be released on 27 May 2011 in Ireland.^{[dated info]} The album will be called Let It Break.

Gemma confirmed that she has written two songs for Michael Uppendahl (director of US TV series Mad Men, Weeds, and Becker) for a forthcoming film directed by him.^[20]

On 11 October 2011 the soundtrack to Janie Jones is released in Europe and Australia. The album features three tracks written by Gemma Hayes. It also features the studio version of 'Waiting for You' which Gemma played as a promo track and on her tours throughout 2010 and 2011.

Hayes revealed in an interview with Evening Echo's 'Downtown' published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 that she has recorded a version of Chris Isaak's 'Wicked Game' which is to feature in a future episode of US Teen drama 'Pretty Little Liars'. The song also featured on her 2012 tour playlist.^[21]

It has been confirmed that Hayes will appear on Paul Noonan's debut solo album.^[22] Noonan has previously worked on Hayes' previous albums.

On 1 March 2012 gemmahayes.com confirmed her cover of "Wicked Games" will appear on Pretty Little Liars on 12 March and will be available to download as a single.^[23]

Popular culture[link]

This "In popular culture" section may contain minor or trivial references. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture rather than simply listing appearances, and remove trivial references. (May 2012)

• "Wicked Game", originally by Chris Isaak, covered by Gemma Hayes was featured in ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars second season. It appeared at the end of the 24th episode.
• "Sad Ol' Song" and "Chasing Dragons" featured in the final episode of Season 3 of RTÉ One's Raw on 13 February 2011.
• "Brittle Winter" featured on ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars.^[24]
• "Out Of Our Hands" taken from Hollow of Morning featured in episode "The Return" of season 2 of Vampire Diaries.^[25]
• "November" taken from the Oliver EP featured on US drama series One Tree Hill. The song featured on the episode "At the Bottom of Everything".^[26] The episode was broadcast on Monday 15 February 2010 on CW.^[11]
• "Sad Ol Song" a track from The Hollow of Morning featured on episode 6 of RTÉ drama series RAW first broadcasted on RTÉ One on Sunday 14 February 2010.^[27]
• "Under a Canopy" a track from The Hollow of Morning album featured on episode 5 of RTÉ drama series RAW first broadcasted on RTÉ One on Sunday 7 February 2010.^[27]
• Her song "Chasing Dragons" was featured on Private Practice episode 301: "A Death in the Family" which first aired on ABC on 6 October 2009.^[28]
• Her song "Out of Our Hands" was featured in ER episode "T-Minus-6" (from Season 15) which aired on 26 February 2009 on NBC, 10 May 2009 on RTÉ One.,^[29] and in the episode "Bad Moon Rising" on the CW show The Vampire Diaries on 23 September 2010.
• The song "Two Step" was featured in a season 2 episode of the hit TV show Grey's Anatomy.^[30]
• She was also featured in a duet with Norwegian singer Magnet on a Bob Dylan cover, "Lay Lady Lay" in the 2005 feature film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.^[31]
• Hayes was on the Ceol '07 album, which was released on 2 March 2007, singing "Rith Mé Go Crích", an Irish language version of "Ran For Miles", which originally appeared on Night on my Side. Other Irish artists who appeared included Bell X1 and Paddy Casey.^[32] The track "Rith Mé Go Crích" reappeared on Ceol 2010 which was released in 2010.
• She appeared on the cover of the June 2008 edition of State magazine.^[33]
• "4:35am" appeared in the 2006 film, Flicka.^[34]
• She dueted with Julian Lennon on "Faithful" from his album Photograph Smile.

Discography[link]

• Night on My Side (2002)
• The Roads Don't Love You (2005)
• The Hollow of Morning (2008)
• Let It Break (2011)

Awards[link]

• 2001 - Best Female Artist - Hot Press Awards - Winner
• 2002 - Mercury Prize - Nomination
• 2003 - Irish Tatler Woman of the Year Music Award
• 2006 - Best Irish Female Artist - Meteor Ireland Music Awards - Winner
• 2009 - Best Irish Female Artist - Meteor Ireland Music Awards - Nomination
• 2009 - Best Solo Female - Irish Music Television: Video Music Awards - Home (Video) - Nomination ^[35]

See also[link]

• The Cake Sale
• List of singer-songwriters
• List of dream pop artists
• List of artists who have released Irish language songs
• List of Irish people

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2012)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gemma Hayes

External links[link]

• Official website
• Gemma Hayes at the Internet Movie Database
• Gemma Hayes at Irish Music Central

This article relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. Discussion about the problems with the sole source used may be found on the talk page. (March 2012)

Anita Skorgan (born November 13, 1958) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She was once married to Jahn Teigen, another successful Norwegian singer-songwriter. Together they have a daughter.^[1]

She represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest a total of five times, twice as a solo artist, once with Jahn Teigen, once as his backing singer in 1983, and also as Finn Kalvik's backing singer in his 1981 performance. In 1977 in London she sang "Casanova", finishing 14th. Two years later, in Jerusalem, year 1979, she had a bit more success, lifting her song "Oliver" to 11th place. Back in England, she returned to the Eurovision stage in company with her - at that time - husband, Jahn Teigen. She played the piano, and they both sang "Adieu" - perhaps knowing what was about to happen in their private life - which was voted to a 12th position in Harrogate. She and Jahn between them appeared at every single Eurovision Song Contest final from 1977 til 1983 except 1981, an impressive 6 times in 7 years.

As her music career expanded, the demand for Anita Skorgan grew also. Before she knew it, she landed multiple appearances on the hit television show "Melodi Grand Prix" seven times between 1976 and 1985. On 17 November 2001 she appeared on the Norwegian talkshow "Den store klassefesten" (The Big Class Reunion).

Anita again represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest as a co-writer and backing singer in 1988, where the song "For vår jord" (For our earth) was placed fifth, sung by Karoline Krueger. She was also one of the writers of "You Used To Be Mine", which came fifth in Norway's Melodi Grand Prix 1999, the show which selected the country's entry to the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest in Jerusalem, Israel.

Additional instances of her filmographic life include appearances on Prima Veras saga om Olav den hellige in 1983 and Stjerner i sikte in 1997.

In 2004 she founded the band Queen Bees.

In November 2010 she was interviewed and sang live on the Jeremy Vine Show on BBC Radio 2. In July 2011 she was again interviewed, twice, on the Jeremy Vine Show following the 2011 Norway attacks.

References[link]

This article about a Norwegian singer is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

This article on a singer-songwriter is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Jamie Oliver
MBE

Oliver in Union Square in New York City, 2008
Born	James Trevor Oliver (1975-05-27) 27 May 1975 (age 37) Clavering, Essex, England
Cooking style	Fresh and Organic, Italian cuisine, British cuisine
Education	Westminster Kingsway College
Spouse	Juliette Norton (m. 2000) «start: (2000-06-24)»"Marriage: Juliette Norton to Jamie Oliver" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jamie_Oliver)
Current restaurant(s) Fifteen Jamie's Italian
Television show(s) Oliver's Twist Jamie's School Dinners Jamie's Great Italian Escape Naked Chef Jamie's Kitchen Jamie's Chef Jamie at Home Jamie's Fowl Dinners Jamie's Ministry of Food Jamie's American Road Trip Jamie's Family Christmas Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Jamie's Dream School Jamie Does 30 Minute Meals
Official website
jamieoliver.com

James Trevor "Jamie" Oliver, MBE (born 27 May 1975) is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools. He strives to improve unhealthy diets and poor cooking habits in the United Kingdom and the United States. Jamie Oliver's speciality is Italian cuisine, although he has a broad international repertoire.

Life and career[link]

Jamie Oliver was brought up in Clavering, Essex, England. His parents ran a pub, "The Cricketers", where he used to practise in the kitchen.^[1] He was educated at Newport Free Grammar School. He left school at age sixteen without qualifications and went on to attend Westminster Kingsway College, formerly Westminster College.^[1][2] He then earned a City & Guilds NVQ in home economics.

His first job was as a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio's Neal's Yard restaurant, where he first gained experience with preparing Italian cuisine, and developed a relationship with his 'mentor' Gennaro Contaldo.^[2] Oliver then moved to The River Café, Fulham, as a sous chef.

It was there where he was noticed by the BBC in 1997 after making an unscripted appearance in a documentary about the restaurant, "Christmas at the River Cafe".^[3] That year, his show The Naked Chef debuted and his cookbook became a number one best-seller in the UK.^[4] That same year, Oliver was invited to prepare lunch for then Prime Minister Tony Blair at No. 10 Downing Street.^[4]

Personal life[link]

In July 2000, Oliver married former model Juliette Norton.^[5] The couple met in 1993 and have four children: Poppy Honey Rosie Oliver (born 18 March 2002), Daisy Boo Pamela Oliver (born on 10 April 2003), Petal Blossom Rainbow Oliver (born on 3 April 2009)^[6] and Buddy Bear Maurice Oliver (born on 15 September 2010).^[7] Oliver announced the births of the two youngest children on Twitter.^[8][9] The family lives in Clavering, Essex.^[10]

Ancestry[link]

In 2009 Oliver claimed to be of partial Sudanese ancestry via his great-great grandfather John, whom he described as “a bit swarthy with curly hair”.^[11] However, research for the Sunday Express established that John's father James was a hatter from Penzance, and that James' father Richard was also Cornish, leaving little or no possibility of a Sudanese connection. The family legend of Sudanese ancestry may have originated in the 19th century when John Oliver returned from sea, possibly with a tanned complexion after visiting Africa.^[12]

Notable career milestones[link]

In 2000, Oliver became the face of the UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's through an endorsement deal worth $2 million a year.^[4] After 11 years the partnership between Oliver & Sainsbury's ended. The final television advertisement was for Christmas 2011.^[13]

Oliver created Fifteen in 2002. Each year, fifteen young adults who have a disadvantaged background, criminal record or history of drug abuse, are trained in the restaurant business.^[14]

In 2003, he was awarded an MBE.^[15]

In 2005, he initiated a campaign called "Feed Me Better" in order to move British schoolchildren towards eating healthy foods and cutting out junk food. As a result, the British government also pledged to address the issue. Delving into politics to push for changes in nutrition resulted in people voting him as the "Most Inspiring Political Figure of 2005," according to a Channel 4 News annual viewer poll.^[4]

His emphasis on cooking healthily continued as he created Jamie's Ministry of Food, a television series where Oliver travelled to inspire everyday people in Rotherham, Yorkshire, to cook healthy meals. Another television series is Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (2010–2011), where he travelled first to Huntington, West Virginia and then to Los Angeles to change the way Americans eat, and address their dependence on fast food.^[4]

Oliver's holding company, Sweet As Candy, has made enough profit for Oliver to have been listed on The Sunday Times list of richest Britons under 30.^[16][17]

In June 2008 he launched Jamie's Italian, his very first high-street business venture^{[clarification needed]} in Oxford, England.^[18]

It was reported in October 2009 that Oliver is in the process of raising US$22 million to help fund 30 of his Italian restaurants in Asia.^[19]

In December 2009, Oliver received the 2010 TED Prize.^[20]

Charity and campaigning[link]

Oliver conceived and established the Fifteen charity restaurant where he trained fifteen disadvantaged young people to work in the hospitality industry. Following the success of the original restaurant in London, more Fifteens have opened around the globe: Fifteen Amsterdam opened in December 2004, Fifteen Cornwall in Newquay opened in May 2006 and Fifteen Melbourne opened in September 2006 with Australian friend and fellow chef Tobie Puttock.^[21]

Oliver then began a formal campaign to ban unhealthy food in British schools and to get children eating nutritious food instead. Oliver's efforts to bring radical change to the school meals system, chronicled in the series Jamie's School Dinners, challenged the junk-food culture by showing schools they could serve healthy, cost-efficient meals that kids enjoyed eating.^[22] Jamie's efforts brought the subject of school dinners to the political forefront and changed the types of food served in schools.^[23]

In June 2003, Oliver was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours. He has also written columns for The Times. A great proponent of fresh organic foods, Oliver was named the most influential person in the UK hospitality industry when he topped the inaugural Caterersearch.com 100 in May 2005.^[24] The list placed Oliver higher than Sir Francis Mackay, the then-chairman of the contract catering giant Compass Group, which Oliver had soundly criticised in Jamie's School Dinners. In 2006, Oliver dropped to second on the list behind fellow celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.^[25] In July 2010, Jamie regained the top spot and has been named as the most powerful and influential person in the UK hospitality industry once again.^[26]

In December 2009, Oliver was awarded the 2010 TED Prize for his campaigns to "create change on both the individual and governmental levels" in order to "bring attention to the changes Englanders and now Americans need to make in their lifestyles and diet."^[20]

In 2010, Oliver joined several other celebrity chefs on the series The Big Fish Fight.^[27] In the series, Oliver, along with fellow chef Gordon Ramsay, spent time on a trawler boat to raise awareness about the discarding of hundreds of thousands of saltwater fish because the fisherman are prohibited from keeping any fish other than the stated target of the trawl.^{[citation needed]}

Oliver is a patron of environmental charity Trees for Cities.^[28]

Advertising[link]

From 1998, Oliver was the public face of the Sainsbury's supermarket chain in the UK, appearing on television and radio advertisements and in-store promotional material. The deal earned him an estimated £1.2 million every year.^[29] By 2004, the company had made 65 advertisements with Oliver, but this arrangement has not been without controversy. Oliver was reported to have admitted that he does not use supermarkets, saying “For any chef, supermarkets are like a factory. I buy from specialist growers, organic suppliers and farmers".^[30] He was also said to have been criticised by Sainsbury's CEO Justin King when he slammed the "junk" sold by supermarkets that ends up in the lunchboxes of millions of children. King reportedly hit back, saying: "Dictating to people – or unleashing an expletive-filled tirade – is not the way to get engagement."^[31]

Oliver has also a line of non-stick pans and cookware for Tefal and has appeared in Australian television commercials for Yalumba wines, using Del Boy's catchphrase of "Lovely Jubbly".^{[citation needed]}

Television shows[link]

Oliver's programmes are shown in over 40 countries, including the USA's Food Network. Oliver's Twist and Pukka Tukka picked up where The Naked Chef left off. More recently, Oliver has appeared in campaigning programmes to improve food in schools and the cooking skills of the average person.^{[citation needed]}

The Naked Chef (1998–1999) was Oliver's first series. The title was a reference to the simplicity of Oliver's recipes and has nothing to do with nudity. Oliver has frequently admitted that he was not entirely happy with the title, which was devised by producer Patricia Llewellyn. (In the UK edit of the show, the opening titles include a clip of him telling an unseen questioner, "No way! It's not me, it's the food!") The success of the programme led to the books Return of the Naked Chef and Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Series guide:

• Series 1 (6 editions): 14 April 1999 to 16 June 1999
• Series 2 (8 editions): 12 April 2000 to 31 May 2000
• Series 3 (8 editions): 16 October 2001 to 4 December 2001
• Special "Christmas comes early": 21 December 1999
• Special "Christmas in New York": 20 December 2000 - Jamie undertakes a stage in New York
• Special "Christmas Party": 19 December 2001

Pukka Tukka was launched in 2000 on Channel 4.^{[citation needed]}

Oliver's Twist was launched in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

Jamie's Kitchen was a five-part 2002 documentary series. It followed Oliver as he attempted to train a group of disadvantaged youths, who would, if they completed the course, be offered jobs at Oliver's new restaurant "Fifteen". This was followed by Return to Jamie's Kitchen in 2003.

Jamie's Kitchen Australia was a ten-part 2006 television series, similar to Jamie's Kitchen, that was based in and aired in Australia.

Jamie's School Dinners (2005) was a four-part documentary series. Oliver took responsibility for running the kitchen meals in Kidbrooke School, Greenwich, for a year. Disgusted by the unhealthy food being served to schoolchildren and the lack of healthy alternatives on offer, Oliver began a campaign to improve the standard of Britain’s school meals. Public awareness was raised and subsequently the British Government pledged to spend £280m on school dinners (spread over three years). Tony Blair acknowledged that this was a result of Oliver's campaign. Following the success of the campaign, Oliver was named "Most Inspiring Political Figure of 2005" in the Channel 4 Political Awards 2006. In episode 2 of Jamie's School Dinners, Oliver's Fifteen London restaurant was visited by former US President Bill Clinton. Clinton asked to see Oliver; however, Oliver refused: 36 showed up for a booking of 20 and many of them were on a South Beach Diet and refused the special menu that had been prepared, even though it had been approved in advance.^[32]

Jamie's Great Italian Escape, a six-part travelogue series, was first broadcast on Channel 4 in Britain in October 2005. It follows Oliver as he travels around Italy in a blue VW van (plus a trailer for cooking). He is about to turn 30 and this is his personal adventure to rediscover his love of cooking.^{[citation needed]}

Jamie's Return To School Dinners

Jamie's Chef (2007) was a four-part series continuing where Jamie's Kitchen left off. Five years and fifty trainees later, Oliver's most recent series aims to help the winning trainee establish their own restaurant at The Cock, a pub near Braintree, Essex. The charitable Fifteen Foundation retains ownership of the property and has provided a £125,000 loan for the winner, Aaron Craze, to refurbish the establishment. As of 13 January 2008, the Cock has closed down and reopened as a regular pub.^[33][34]