Oliver!

Oliver! is such a well-known show and that coupled with the fact that Centre Stage is a youth group with a strong reputation helped to ensure that the house would be almost full for the whole of the run.  This was the first night and the production was very polished, very slick and with lots of energy.   "Food, Glorious Food"  immediately set the mood for the evening.  It was powerfully sung by this well-rehearsed and committed group of young people.   Oliver! is an ideal musical for a youth group where the ages span from below teenage to twenty.  For the younger element, as Fagin's gang, there is much involvement in the story and a lot of scope for developing a character.  The older actors can then extend their experience taking on roles that involve dark and complex emotions.  There was a feeling of truth and depth to their performances in this production, the emotions came across as real.  Commendable as many of the actors were playing well above their age.   The young man playing Oliver at this performance was just right.  He looked so vulnerable but demonstrated this wonderful spirit.  His diction was clear so not a word was missed and his singing voice had a lovely tone and innocence.  The young man who played Oliver for alternate performances was on stage that evening as a member of Fagin's Gang.   The scenes with Mrs Corney and Bumble were nicely done.  All the humour was there but it was not overdone which made it even funnier. These scenes are sometimes played as almost a pantomime which can jar.  The Sowerberry's undertakers establishment also -perhaps strangely - brought some lighter moments to this very dark story.  

It could have been that I was particularly fortunate with where I was sitting because the Pavilion can be tricky for sound, for I could pretty much hear all the dialogue.  This so improves the enjoyment for the audience, even with such a well-known show as Oliver!

The fourteen piece orchestra was in another room with the music being piped across.  The music was excellent and importantly it was possible to achieve a good sound balance so that the actors could be heard and understood without losing the beautiful quality of the music.  The comedy songs, the ensemble numbers and the ballads were beautifully sung and with good feeling for the words.   This was the opening night and there were a few blips with the sound which most likely would not happen with the following performances.  

The costumes, designed and made by the director, were appropriate for the various characters and time.  Fortunately, not too many changes of costume were required for this large cast.

This production progressed at a good pace.  The set had been designed in such a way that the scene changes could be speedily undertaken.

The lighting was very sombre for the opening scenes.  It needed to be to show the hopeless situation of the workhouse but a little more light would have been useful.  Later purples and greens were used which were interesting but perhaps a tad startling.  It does seem to be more usual nowadays to see dramatic lighting rather than lighting sympathetic to the plot so perhaps the writer of this report is behind the times!

Congratulations to the members of Centre Stage for an impressive production much enjoyed by the enthusiastic audience.

 

 

 

 

 

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