Abbot originally played Fagin in the 1997 production at the London Palladium, upon which this revival of the musical, currently showing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, is based.

Russ Abbot made his name with his own comedy television show in the 1980′s. He is also an experienced stage actor, having appeared in West End productions of Little Me, One For The Road, Caught In The Net, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and My Fair Lady.

Oliver! tickets are currently available here at Tixdaq.com for over 300 showings of the popular musical, which will run until February 2011. Tickets can be bought for less than £20.

Djalili, who has spent a number of years working the standup comedy circuit will take over July 20 joining the rest of the original cast and is scheduled to continue in the West End favourite until December 12.

The Cameron Mackintosh production opened last month with the West End’s largest ever advance sales (£15m) and is currently booking until February 2010

Currently running at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Oliver! which also stars Jodie Prenger, winner of the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything as Nancy has been a tremendous success since it opened on proving a favourite with West End audiences. Oliver! tickets are still available and begin at £15

Other popular West End theatre tickets include Blood Brothers, Oliver, The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys, Blue Man Group, We Will Rock You, Enjoy and of course the ever popular West End musical Billy Elliot.

Many West End Theatre Tickets remain available for 2009  from as little as £12.

Now scores of plays and musicals have followed suit. Confirmed cancellations so far include: Mamma Mia!, Jersey Boys, Les Miserables, Oliver!, Avenue Q, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Complicit, Grease, Carousel, Be Near Me, Hairspray, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wicked, Sunset Boulevard, The Sound of Music, Billy Elliot – The Musical, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, Gethsemane, On The Waterfront, The Phantom Of The Opera, Private Lives, Twelfth Night, Stomp, The Mousetrap and We Will Rock You.

Further cancellations are expected and theatregoers are advised to contact theatres before starting out on their journey.

Theatre fans with tickets for tonights performances are bound to be disappointed to be missing out on what is an increasing popular night out on the West End. Fear not however many West End Theatre Tickets remain available for 2009 and are available from as little as £12.

27 Jan – 24 Oct    Blood Brothers (£22.50)
27 Jan – 26 Sep   Oliver (£15)
27 Jan – 28 Feb   The Sound of Music (£12)
27 Jan – 27 Mar   Mamma Mia (£19.50)
27 Jan – 24 Oct    Jersey Boys (£20)
15 Feb – 17 May  Blue Man Group (£67.50)
27 Jan – 09 Jan    We will Rock You (£28)
27 Jan – 02 May   Enjoy (£13.50)
27 Jan – 18 Dec   Billy Elliot the Musical (£17.50)

Tickets to certain shows have long been inaccessible for the younger end of the market due to high ticket prices. Discounts already exist for students, but many young professionals are not keen to fork out for full priced tickets.

Only time will tell how successful the new scheme will be in attracting new audiences to theatres across the UK. However it is clear that the opposite end of the market is demonstrating a willingness to pay whatever it takes to see their favourite shows. Some of this year’s top shows including Oliver!, Mamma Mia and Dirty Dancing are selling for more than six times face value on the resale markets. One pair of tickets originally bought for £90 to see David Tennant in the latest production of Hamlet sold recently for £607.

Tickets to certain shows have long been inaccessible for the younger end of the market due to high ticket prices. Discounts already exist for students, but many young professionals are not keen to fork out for full priced tickets.

Only time will tell how successful the new scheme will be in attracting new audiences to theatres across the UK. However it is clear that the opposite end of the market is demonstrating a willingness to pay whatever it takes to see their favourite shows. Some of this year’s top shows including Oliver!, Mamma Mia and Dirty Dancing are selling for more than six times face value on the resale markets. One pair of tickets originally bought for £90 to see David Tennant in the latest production of Hamlet sold recently for £607.