Oliver!

  ‘Oliver!’ is the well-known stage musical with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart The musical is based upon the 1838 novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens The 1968 film adaptation directed by Carol Reed (featuring performances by Mark Lester, Jack Wild, Oliver Reed and the original Fagin, Ron Moody) won six Academy Awards including Best Picture. 

Corby Amateur Theatre Company (CATS) have taken on the challenges of this musical with enthusiasm and passion and have created a jaunty Victorian fairy tale and an enjoyable piece of theatre.

‘Oliver!’ tells the story of a young boy brought up in an orphanage who, because of his challenging the parochial greedy overseers (Mr Bumble and his soon to be wife Widow Corney), is thrown out and sold to Mr Sowerberry an undertaker. Following an incident where he attacks the Sowerberry’s, he manages to escape meets Jack Dawkins, The Artful Dodger and is taken in by Fagin and his gang of pick pockets and taught the tricks of the trade. 

On his first day out, Oliver is caught apparently red-handed and, seeing his unhealthy state is taken in by Mr Brownlow.  Fagin panics believing that if Oliver should tell Brownlow of his secret hideaway, then the ‘gig’ would be up for his little enterprise but also this would impact Bill Sikes and his lover Nancy themselves part of Fagin’s gang when they were children.  Bill is now a violent house breaker who treats Nancy with cruelty and contempt.  The pair get Oliver back leaving Nancy feeling angry and bitter that he had been taken away from the chance of a new life.  Bill’s violent side has tragic consequences for Nancy, and we find out Oliver’s true identity.

Many of the ensemble numbers were very good but standout chorus routines were the opening number featuring ‘Team Oliver’ singing ‘Food Glorious Food’ fantasising about delicious dishes that they would never experience, while the uncaring staff stood balefully around them.  ‘Who Will Buy’ (featuring solos from Adele Jamookeeah as The Rose Seller, Evie Williams as the Milkmaid, Ruth Odell as the Strawberry Seller and Finley Arissol as the Knife Grinder) was very impressive and had fantastic harmonies and stunning choreography. The feisty ‘Pick a Pocket’ where Fagin gets to give Oliver a masterclass in pickpocketing and ‘I’d Do Anything’ were also very good.

I was very impressed with the younger members of the cast who were divided into two teams of seventeen children - Team Dodger and Team Oliver. (I saw team Oliver.) Well done to the chaperones for enabling the large groups of children to take part - some in their debut roles. The little boy who played Nipper was very cute and added lots of humour to the role play fighting Fagin.  I was also impressed with Tahlia Maddox who played Charley Bates who had a cheeky confident stage presence and very good dance moves.

Stand out performances were The Artful Dodger played with cockney charm by Jack James in his debut role.  James did a delightful portrayal of the cheeky chap, and his vocals, facial expressions and mannerisms were excellent in ‘Consider Yourself’.  I liked his interactions with Nancy in ‘I’d Do Anything’ sending up the upper classes while seeing himself as a junior Bill Sikes.

Curtis Mason-Moor, in his debut role, was poor orphaned Oliver Twist.  Curtis played his part well with some nice vocals in ‘Where is Love’ and ‘Who Will Buy.’  He delivered his lines with a wide-eyed innocence adding vulnerability to the role in stark contrast to the more worldly-wise Dodger.  

Heidi Coleman was wonderful as Nancy and from the minute she came into The Thieves’ Kitchen with Bet (Lauren Milne), she brought a naughty sassiness to the character with a twinkle in her eye. She sang ‘Fine Life’ playfully taunting Fagin and ruefully acknowledging that a happily traditional married life was not an option for her.  I loved the way her role developed and changed from up-beat optimism and blind loyalty towards Bill to a fierce protectiveness and motherly attitude towards Oliver.  Her performance of ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ was one of the highlights of the show.   

Fagin played by Kevin Maltby was another standout performance and what kinetic energy!  He never stayed still cavorting around the stage like a whirling dervish he brought dynamism to the role.  I loved his relationship with the gang members teasing them but still showing a deep protection for them.  During ‘Oom Pah Pah’ he went around stealing watches and knick-knacks left on the table. His performance of ‘I’m Reviewing the Situation’ was very good and he really got across the anguish faced by a character deeply entrenched in the criminal lifestyle.

I liked the interplay between Mr Bumble (Paul Nicholls) and Widow Corney (Belinda Steward) especially in the humorous ‘I Shall Scream.’ The change in their demeanours once the first flush of married bliss had worn off provided lots of humour.  Paul has a fantastic operatic voice (reminding me of the late great Sir Harry Secombe) which went well with the role. 

Mr and Mrs Sowerberry (Jaspal Singh and Adele Jamookeeah) provided some more humour as the dour funeral directors tasked with taking on Oliver once he had been thrown out of the orphanage.  Their duet ‘That’s our Funeral’ showed Adele had a lovely singing voice, and this was used again in her dual role as the Rose Seller in ‘Who Will Buy.’  Bianca Harker was very good as the saucy Charlotte Sowerberry as she flirted with Noah Claypole (Cory Gilgallon) and tried in vain to pacify her hysterical mother by throwing water in her face.

Ashley Malcolmson played the brooding bully Bill Sikes with a sinister air.  His first entrance silhouetted menacingly in the doorway cloaked in fog was very well done.  He offloaded his ill-gotten gains from his most recent burglary including cutlery, silver platters and a length of pearls from his throat causing Fagin to quip “Oh you’ve washed them as well.”. His volatile relationship with Nancy was chilling using his fists to get his point across when she dared to oppose him.  His true evil personality was highlighted in the ominous ‘My Name’ where only the infatuated lovesick Nancy dare utter it.

Martyn Peck added some gravitas to the role of Mr Brownlow another debut role with the society and I believe he was a late addition to the cast. I loved his admonishment of the Bumbles when they tried to extort money in exchange for the locket. Lindsey James was a kind natured nurturing Mrs Bedwin showing compassion to Oliver and Nancy.

The set was an impressive three levels which was used to good effect for example, in the opening scene, as the orphan children came across a bridge and down the steps during the opening number ‘Food Glorious Food.’ Props were simple to create the scene – a long table and benches for the orphanage, coffin and counter for the undertakers and strings of handkerchiefs on strings with a glowing stove for The Thieves’ Kitchen.  Lighting and projections techniques were used well to create a gloomy atmosphere at stage level and windows in the orphanage and cobbled street.  They were also used above stage to symbolise brick work in Fagin’s Den and a projection of ‘God is Love’ in the workhouse.  Signs were also projected informing us of scene changes such as ‘The Three Cripples’ the ‘Sowerberry’s Funeral Parlour’ and a murky London back-drop. I also liked the lamplighter illuminating London Bridge and the use of lighting for Bill Sikes’s demise.

I was very impressed with the roll-on sets used to good effect for both Widow Corney’s Parlour and as Oliver’s bedroom at the Brownlow house.  This was also turned around so Oliver could watch out of the window during ‘Who Will Buy’.

I have to say however, that some timings between scene changes (using a black-out and music) was over long, and this disrupted the continuity.  I would suggest for the future, members of the cast in costume could be used for scene changes as a few times back-stage crew were visible and not all were wearing black footwear.  I was impressed however with ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ where the stage was split into darkness, a spotlight illuminating Nancy who then moved across stage so the crew could execute a seamless scene change.

Choreography provided by Marcia Mitchell and Sheena Brown was excellent and the stage was used to full effect in the dance numbers especially in ‘Who Will Buy and ‘Be Back Soon’. Costumes overall were good.  I liked Nancy in her scarlet dress slightly grubby at the hem, and Fagin who at times had some 4th doctor vibes with his striped scarf, long coat and floppy hat.  The orphans looked delightful in their dour grey flannel clothes and the urchins’ costumes, especially Dodger’s outfit and top hat, were in keeping with the Victorian theme. On a minor note, I did notice that some of the ladies’ hemlines were too short for a Victorian theme especially in the opening number.

Music was provided by a live orchestra conducted by Musical Director Barbara Hockey performing a lively score to the well-known musical numbers and some of the scene change interludes. I especially liked the violin solo during ‘Reviewing the Situation’ with a ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ vibe. Harmonies were well executed and created a strong wall of sound from the ensemble although I would have liked rowdier cockney accents as they sounded too nice!

Since, I am not the Noda representative for this society, it was lovely to be so warmly welcomed by Bianca Harker on our arrival who obtained out tickets for us and escorted us to our seats. I also met some of the cast including Fagin, (Kevin Maltby) and Janet Askew (Chairperson) who played Old Sally to chat about chaperoning and other issues with presenting and putting on such a challenging show and their plans for future productions.

Well done director Caroline Young for your vision and everyone on stage and behind the scenes for bringing the show to vibrant life.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.