Oliver!

West End presented Lionel Bart’s ever popular Oliver!, based on the Dickens classic, with both story and songs familiar to most people. I estimated the large company boasted up to 58.  I know children sell tickets but the workhouse was marginally over-populated, youngsters occasionally having insufficient room to move.  I also have a personal aversion to girls (sorry, girls) in the workhouse.  In my head (and, I believe, in Dickens) there are only boys, as in Fagin’s gang.
 
Those numbers did, however, swell the chorus.  Only occasionally did it get a little thin as they tried to sing and move, without jostling each other.  Katie Howes’ 'Widow Corney' was loud and irascible; Michael Green’s 'Mr Bumble', suitably bumptious but kept in his place.  They delivered 'I Shall Scream' in fine fashion. 
 
Title role 'Oliver' (Oliver Blake) looked right and won the hearts of the largely female audience with an engaging 'Where is Love'.  Upon meeting creepy 'Mr Sowerberry' (Justin Wardell), bumptious 'Mrs Sowerberry' (Melanie King) and the odious duo of 'Charlotte' (Lucy Dougall) and 'Noah' (Nicky Flynn) he wisely decided to escape … into the arms of the 'Artful Dodger' (Hayden Taylor).  I suspect Hayden was suffering from a nasty cold or a breaking voice, gradually acting rather than singing the words.  'Consider Yourself' was a rousing introduction for Oliver to the dubiously warm world of Fagin.

There he met friendly 'Nancy' (Caroline Sabiston) and frightening 'Bill Sikes' (Andrew Fearon).  Caroline was just a little too clean, well dressed and coiffured, which seemed to undermine 'As Long As He Needs Me'; Andrew was not as odious as Sikes needs to be.  The audience didn’t warm to Nancy nor fear Bill sufficiently.  Even though most people know what to expect in the murder scene, it usually elicits a gasp from the uninitiated, which was missing.

As 'Fagin' (Brian Jordan) did not quite exhibit the snake-eyed charm required to be totally convincing.  His two big numbers, 'You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two' and 'Reviewing The Situation' were, however, performed well.

The small orchestra of, I believe, eight, assembled by Liam Gilbert was excellent, keeping the show moving along briskly.  Although the cast created some memorable moments, the schism between “haves and have nots” didn’t seem clearly defined.  That said, I suspect the audience left with fond memories of a heart-warming show.

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