Oliver!

A lot of thought had been given to the set for this production to minimalise set changes and it worked extremely well.  I loved the idea of having two tables at ground level jutting out from the stage which provided two runways coming out from the stage, as well as the necessary tables for the workhouse scene.  With a raised level at the back, with a balustrade and central steps, it was only necessary to add a few small pieces of furniture and backdrops to create each scene.  It really made the best use of the space available and provided lots of variation and places for the children to run around when required.  The Workhouse children entered through the auditorium and began their singing in amongst the audience, which drew the audience into the action from the word go.  The whole production was extremely well staged and directed by Joanne Meredith and the hours of hard work she and her team had obviously put into the production was very evident to see.

The children in this production were fabulous.  The decision had been taken to use local children, many of whom had no previous experience of the stage other than school productions. The fact that they were not perfect added to their charm and made them seem much more real than the usual stage school children.  I loved watching the occasional nudges or looks between them when one didn’t move in the right direction. They all did a fantastic job and deserved the rapturous applause they received.

The young man who played Oliver on the night I went, was also charming and had a beautifully clear singing voice and a lovely quality of vulnerability which was so right for the part. When required, he ran at full pelt up and down stairs and over benches and tables, whilst the audience held their breath hoping he didn’t fall over!  An excellent performance from this young man.

Artful Dodger gave a very confident performance with bags of character and a good singing voice.

In fact all of the principals performed well, with some good singing voices and character acting evident throughout. The chorus were kept busy in their various scenes and sang well.

Costumes and makeup were all excellent, as was the lighting and sound.  Choreography was simple but performed well and the band created an impressive sound and was well balanced with the cast.

The auditorium was packed, which was lovely to see, and the audience clearly loved every minute of this great production.  Many congratulations to everyone involved and I hope to see many of the children in future productions.

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