Rowan Atkinson has sustained an indirect inguinal hernia. His doctors advise immediate surgery to avoid exacerbating the condition. They are confident that he will be well enough to return to the role of Fagin in Oliver! on the 27th April following a three week recovery period. Rowan has been nursing the problem for a few weeks but it flared up badly whilst on a break with his family this week. He has cut short his holiday to fly back to have surgery immediately to speed the recovery process. The condition, whilst neither serious nor dangerous, is extremely painful and prevents normal movement, making performing impossible.

Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce that we have been lucky enough to get Russ Abbot to return to the role of Fagin for two weeks from 13th April. Russ played the role to considerable acclaim at the London Palladium in 1997 and again triumphantly on tour around the UK and in Toronto the following year. Cameron Mackintosh said today, “Our sympathy goes out to Rowan and all our best wishes for a speedy recovery and return to the production. I regret the disappointment this will cause to many but I am delighted that Russ has so ably stepped into the breach. He is a consummate all-round performer and had a personal triumph in this role when I last produced the show in London and on tour.”

Russ Abbot is probably best known for his TV comedy programme, The Russ Abbot Show, which enjoyed more than ten series on different channels, but his varied career has also encompassed releasing a single “Atmosphere”, which made it into the top ten, as well as television success with September Song, Married for Life, Mad House and TV to Go. He was also known as the face of Hamlet cigars. His many awards include Top Variety Act at the 1990 British Comedy Awards. Last year, the BBC announced that Abbot would be joining the cast of Last of the Summer Wine for the show’s 30th series. Despite his television fame, Abbot is no stranger to the West End having starred in shows such as Neil Simon’s Little Me, Willy Russell’s One for the Road and the 2001 farce Caught in the Net, Ray Cooney’s sequel to Run for Your Wife. His other musical credits include Fagin in Oliver! at the London Palladium, UK tour and in Toronto, the title role in the UK tour of Dr Dolittle, Alfred P Doolittle in the multi award-winning revival of Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and Roger De Bris in the UK tour of The Producers.

Tim Laurenti who was scheduled to play Fagin during Rowan’s holiday, will continue playing the role until 11 April. Rowan is scheduled to appear until 18 July 2009 at which point, Omid Djalili takes on the role from 20 July - 12 December 2009.