I’m going to be honest and say that ‘Oliver’ has never been at the top of my must-see-show list.
I vaguely remember watching it as a child and obviously there are a few classic tunes within, but the corniness of the film made me dubious of the stage show. I always love it though when expectations are low and you’re proved very much wrong: and thanks must go to my friend Cris who pressured me into taking her. Sometimes others do know better.
‘Oliver’ is the Leeds Playhouse’s’ choice of festive production this year. I used to take my Performing Arts staff to see their Christmas shows every year. Their production of Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe remains one of the best shows I’ve seen. The last 12 months has been such a success for the Playhouse and I’m thrilled that they are ending the year on such a high.
Lionel’s Bart’s ‘Oliver’ was first produced for stage in 1960 and was based on the book ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens, published back in 1838. However, the musical became a household favourite with the release of the 1968 film staring Ron Moody, Oliver Reed and Mark Lester. It tells the tale of a poor orphaned boy in a workhouse in the 1800’s, who has the cheek to ask for more food, forever immortalising the words ‘Please, sir, I want some more’.
Subsequently sold from the poorhouse, he soon innocently finds himself in the depths of a ring of young thieves, led by the wily, cheeky crook Fagin, the bully Bill Sikes and his abused yet charismatic partner Nancy. When Oliver finds himself being taken in by a wealthy old man, Sikes refuses to let go of him and those involved in Oliver’s past must question their beliefs and code of conduct when deciding what to do next: is the young boy Oliver able to help them change their ways before it’s too late?
Without doubt, the first I must mention in this production are the children. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a professional and talented bunch of young performers on stage before, and I’ve seen a lot of shows. Their complete focus, precise actions during complex sequences and exaggerated facial expressions showed mature understanding of both the text and demands of live theatre. Their ensemble songs such as ‘Food Glorious Food’ and ‘Consider Yourself’ were absolute highlights of the show, with energy, pace and brilliant harmonies and intonation.
Nicolas Teixeria, who starred in this performance as Oliver, carried the show with effortless confidence with an innocence that had none of the corniness found in the film. His singing was beautiful: his high notes especially were produced with exceptional clarity and power, surprising with a child so young. The Artful Dodger, performed on this occasion by Felix Holt, had the desired level of charisma and cockney confidence that provided comedy and pace to the show, his physicality and dance skills a particular strength. The young cast performs on rotation, with three actors taking on the lead roles. However, if the others are anywhere near the quality of these two you will most certainly not be disappointed.
The ensemble themselves must be praised. The harmonies were fantastic throughout, especially the quartet at the start of ‘Who Will Buy’. The slickness of the set changes, all controlled by the cast themselves, kept the audience engaged so blackouts were therefore avoided. Although the set was minimalistic in an epic theatre style, the wooden and metal aesthetics set the mood, atmosphere and sense of poverty, with the few items of set being used to create a clear representation of time and location. The coffins that came out of the floor were particular effective (though might be slightly terrifying for a younger child). There were a number of scenes with a gothic Victorian feel and I particularly enjoyed these quirky moments, especially the funeral song ‘That’s Your Funeral’. It seemed very on point with the popularity of TV shows like ‘Wednesday’.
Out of the lead adults, Fagin was a particular favourite of mine, performed skilfully by Steve Furst. He had charm and cheekiness, and his live violin playing gave his character an alternative perspective which actually allowed the audience to believe that this was a character who did have hope of being changed for the better. The quality of this performance surprisingly made Fagin the character that we came to understand the most, helped by his stunning, crowd pleasing performance of ‘Reviewing the Situation’.
There is no doubting that Jenny Fitzpatrick, who performed the leading-lady role of Nancy, is also an exceptionally talented actor and singer. Her rendition of ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ was met with almighty cheers from the audience as her last belted out note was nothing short of phenomenal.
I’m a musician, so the band is always as important to me as the cast, and wow, what a show band this is! The woodwind countermelodies were note perfect and the razz of the brass brought the larger, faster numbers to life. The timing and balance with the cast was so precise that at first I was unsure as to whether it was live or recorded. I soon figured out it was live, but where the band was placed remains a mystery. A friendly usher believed they were hidden under the stage, but wherever they were, my only wish was that I could have seen them perform. It’s easy to ignore the band and forget they’re there when they cannot be seen, but the quality of this band should definitely not be overlooked. Congratulations must be given to Musical Director Luke Holman, who I believe is the man with the baton that we see taking a quick bow at the end on behalf of the whole band.
Although the show isn’t festive in the traditional sense, I left the performance uplifted and humming along to all the songs. At no point in the show was I bored, the sheer energy and pace even making me want to call out for an encore. There is no doubt that the children steal the show. Although some of the content (the violence, theme of death and very blatant innuendos, especially from Widow Corney) would make it unsuitable for children much younger than about 8, this show would be an absolute inspiration for any older child interested in the arts. It’s also massively engaging for an adult audience and my first thought as I left was that I needed to buy tickets for my Mother.
This show is on until the end of Jan so it doesn’t matter if you have to wait until the Christmas mayhem is over. You could even ask Santa for some tickets. It’s a must see production that will leave your toes tapping, your face smiling and calling out ‘Please, sir, I want some more.’ Sorry…..I had to fit that in somewhere!
Main image: Frankie Hart (Bet) Jenny Fitzpatrick (Nancy) Hughie Higginson (Artful Dodger) with Fagin’s Gang.
