Oliver!

With a cast including around 20 youngsters in Fagin’s gang incorporating three Olivers and two Dodgers, along with two each of Nancy, Bet, Charlotte and Noah, rehearsals for this production will have been interesting!

I saw Elliott English play Oliver and the audience loved him.  I also have it on good authority that his two fellow performers in the part, Sam Dulson and Chikomborero Chinyadza, were equally impressive.  Harry Shepherd was a very good Artful Dodger, acting, singing and moving very well and Hannah Wilson performed Nancy - I liked her As Long As He Needs Me.  There were also strong contributions from Alice Trow as Bet, Alice Warneken Gold as Widow Corney and Robin Datta as Mr Bumble, also young actors, and they came across well although I did not like the staging of I shall Scream duet.  Ian Start and Karen Shepherd were entertaining as the Sowerberrys

Neil Edlin could perhaps have been a bit more menacing as Bill Sikes, although his My Name was excellent, but the stand out performance for me was Andy Collinson as Fagin.  He always seems to understate his characters which, to my mind, almost strengthens them.  Reviewing the Situation was the best number in the show.

There was a reasonably sized supporting cast but, in truth, I felt that the performance lacked some oomph and maybe that was due to the fact that there were some relatively inexperienced performers.  However, when Fagin was on stage everything lifted to the right level.

The set was simple and included a bridge which could have been used more, adding a bit more strength to the close of each half.  But it must be said that, as well as involving a good number of youngsters and doubling up on a number of parts, the society chose, for the second year running, to perform (and rehearse) at a new 300 seat venue and for this they are to be well commended for their vision.

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