by Michelle Rawlins
The Leeds Playhouse always pull a corker out of the bag for Christmas, and this year’s exuberant spectacular of Oliver! is no exception.
Their magnificent adaptation of Lionel Bart’s renowned show burst onto stage and didn’t fail to impress from start to end.
From the extraordinary child actors, with their exquisite voices and perfectly choreographed dances, under the tutelage of Lucy Hind, to the beautifully atmospheric set, this musical twist on Dicken’s classic Victorian novel really is the most magical feast of a show.
The exquisite production follows the traditional storyline, of vagabond orphan Oliver, who was abandoned as a baby and placed in the far from compassionate hands of a desolate workhouse and dares to ask for ‘more’. And there begins his journey, which takes him to the streets of industrial London, where many have been left with no other option but to find a way to swim against the tide of poverty and to join Fagin’s gang of lovable rogues.
Oliver, performed beautifully by nine-year-old, angel-faced, Nicholas Teixeira, wowed the audience with his charmingly sweet innocence alongside his soaring renditions of Who Will Buy? and Where is Love? despite his delicate Tiny Tim proportions.
The youngster wasn’t alone in hitting the high notes. Nancy, played by West End actress, Jenny Fitzpatrick, left the theatre in awe of her powerfully impeccable voice, as she passionately performed As Long as he Needs Me. She managed to perfectly combine the character’s vulnerability, through her chilling relationship with the heinously sinister Bill Sikes (Chris Bennet), but also demonstrated her parallel fierce independence as she fought to help Oliver in a bid to prevent him living the abysmal life she’d been forced to endure.
The whole cast, including the 38-strong youth company, were an absolute joy to watch. Their energy was exhilarating, from the infamously toe-tapping Food, Glorious Food, to the shenanigans they got up to under the confident, self-assured, Artful Dodger (Felix Holt), led by the now recreated forlorn realist, as opposed to the previous villain like Fagin (Steve Furst), which came to life as they belted out You’ve got To Pick a Pocket or Two.
Colin Richmond’s searingly atmospheric set, which allows the production to play out on several levels, thanks to overhead gantries and lantern lit balconies, was thoughtfully created to complement the light and dark shades of the show, from the joyous performance of Consider Yourself to the deathly demise of Nancy and Sikes in the murky alleyways of nineteenth century London.
Fittingly performed in the round, a poignant nod to the fact that at the core of this story, is the fact that child poverty is a societal issue and must be tackled collectively, something that feels all too familiar right now.
Oliver! may not what you would normally consider a classic Christmas treat, but James Brining’s has successfully created a festive family show that is not to be missed.
Showing until January 27 2024
Tickets here
Photos by Alastair Muir