Oliver!

Oliver! The classic musical, that over the decades has become a staple diet for amateur societies and their audiences.

Last performed in 1992, The Mellow Dramatics played to a good house at the matinee of Bart's well loved tale of the orphan boy who finds love amongst the dirt and grime of Victorian London.

As I have come to expect from The Mellow Dramatics the show opens to present a composite set, using varying heights, steps, bridges and a paved floor. The space was used to its maximum and set the scene for the shows various locations very well. Smooth, quick changes between scenes were achieved with rehearsed precision.

Most costumes were suitable for the period although some looked just a little too pristine, including the workhouse children who were a bit too neat and tidy. Nancy and Bet (Gin drinking prostitutes and thieves) could almost have been in their Sunday best. Victorian London, particularly amongst the underground inhabitants, would have been dark and dirty and I think for this show it does well to make reference to this through the costumes.

The iconic 'Food' number was performed by an enthusiastic group of children, many of whom were easy to pick out as future flourishing performers. Portraying the host of older roles within the story was an eclectic mix of well rehearsed adults, all giving us the characters that we expect to see in this traditional tale. It was great to see both young and old working together so well with an obvious love for being on stage. Special mention must go to the Sowerberrys. Never have I seen a scarier duo, it was almost a nod to your next production. I loved it! It was also great to see them appear any time a dead body was found, clever directing. Fagin lacked some of the Jewish characteristics embedded in this role and was less an 'avaricious old skeleton' than an energetic young man. Tom Brassington's confident command of the stage, however, could not be denied. Credit goes to Becky Stewart for her role as Nancy as she worked hard to show the range of emotions in her performance. Bill Sykes, played by Steve Wood, was not the usual big burley man we have come to expect but more than made up for this in his characterisation of the part. Mr Bumble and Widow Corney injected much humour into their scenes and the Artful Dodger gave a lovely cheeky performance. Finally, a mention has to go to the show's namesake, Oliver, played confidently by Joe Wardle. Although struggling with either an already broken or breaking voice and being slightly older in the part than we would normally see he managed to competently play the innocent boy looking for the love of a family.

Well done to all involved in the production of this well-loved tale.

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