Oliver

~~If you picture a dimly lit stage with the minimum of props on you would get a good idea this was going to be Oliver, then entering the stage you get a group of youngsters singing Food Glorious Food, it is a certainty you are watching this show, and what a treat the audience were in for on the night I attended.
The kids were superb, all of them in tune and when they became Fagin’s gang they were also able to dance their way around the stage with ease.
Of course we all know the story of Oliver which is taken from the Dickens’ classic, Oliver Twist, well here we had the perfect Oliver played to the full by Elliott Kenny, I doubt there would have been anyone who could not have wanted to adopt him when he sang the favourite number Where is Love, this was truly one of the tear jerking moments of the show.   
On his journey through life after the orphanage where he had met Mr Bumble and Widow Corney played superbly by Will Bisby and Belinda Lindley, Oliver comes across The Artful Dodger a lovable rogue played effortlessly by Jacob Whitehead. Oliver and Dodger made a great double act and this showed none more so than when they sang Consider Yourself with the full company.
Oliver is taken to see a “kindly old gent” Fagin who looks after all the orphans in the neighbourhood, you need a special actor to bring this part to life and in this production Mick Cooper made this part his own and was able to give it his own stamp rather than copy any of the other actors we have seen play this part.
The opening of act 2 we see Nancy with the chorus singing Oom-Pah-Pah, all is going well until the peace is broken by the entrance of Bill Sykes played very scarily by Daniel Wilkinson and that is no criticism of his acting ability, I have seen this show quite a number of times and also appeared in it and I have to say Daniel’s portrayal of Bill Sykes must surely be one of the top ones. He oozed the part and I am sure there must have been a good number in the audience who would not have wanted to meet him on a dark night.
I mentioned earlier the minimal amount of props on stage but this never detracted to the full experience of the show, in fact if anything I think it added to the overall effect and enjoyment of the show, congratulations to all involved.

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