Oliver!

There were some nice touches in this production, directed by Matt Heaton.  I loved Mr Bumble standing on the cat, who let out a well-timed strangled meow!  I also loved the silhouette at the very end created by Fagin against the back wall; a really inspired way to finish the show.

The set was very simple, with raised areas on each side of the stage used for The Workhouse parlour and Oliver’s bedroom at the Brownlow’s’ respectively, amongst other locations.   This allowed maximum space for the big numbers. 

The children as the Workhouse boys and Fagin’s gang did a great job.  Their entrance down the steps through the audience worked well and they were well rehearsed.  The show had a strong start with ‘Food Glorious Food’ and the choreography by Anna Mazan was interesting and well executed by the youngsters.  Later on Anna created some enjoyable numbers with the full company, making the most of the cast and the space available.

The young man, who played Oliver on the night I went, has got to be the youngest Oliver I have seen performing this iconic role.  He may have been small in size but this was a confident performance, with a lovely clear speaking voice and excellent, note perfect singing.  The Artful Dodger had bags of character, was a good dancer and had a wonderful, expressive singing voice. He gave a really outstanding performance and got the character of this cheeky chappy perfectly.  

Lou Knight was a very believable Nancy and had a strong singing voice that suited the part well.  Her rendition of ‘As long as he needs me’ was one of the standout moments of the show; full of emotion. 

Andrew Curtis as Fagin held his character well and his Jewish accent was perfect. This was a very considered portrayal; quite understated but nonetheless effective.  His songs were both well sung and acted, so that every word was heard and understood.  A really excellent performance.

Sykes’s death is always a tricky moment but this was brilliantly done in this production.  Paul West threw himself off a very high level with confidence and disappeared behind the set in an instance, to gasps from the audience.  It was a very dramatic moment that was realised well by the director.

There were some good singing voices and character acting evident in the supporting cast. 

The stand out moment of this show for me was the beautiful chorus singing in ‘Who will Buy?’  This is a very tricky ensemble to get right and, not only was the timing spot on, but the soloists were strong with accurate intonation and the chorus blended well with lovely dynamics.

Costumes and makeup were very good, as was the lighting and sound. 

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