Oliver! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oliver tells the classic story of a young orphan, Oliver Twist, living on the streets of London in the 1830s. He struggles to survive and joins a gang of young pickpockets as he seeks what he desperately desires: a family and a home.

Matthew Bourne's direction was strong, and I really liked the clever use of space throughout. Some great set tricks help the transitions feel smooth while also adding comedic effect. Nothing ever feels like it is there just for the sake of it; everything has a purpose. His choreography is full of love and joy and brings a smile to your face. I particularly loved watching the children, who were all so brilliantly in time with each other. If this is the future generation of performers, then I have very little to worry about!

The set by Lez Brotherston is brilliant. I really liked how the opening builds, with more and more tricks revealing themselves. Things are lowered, moved, and transformed in front of us, creating a real spectacle while somehow still keeping the production intimate. His costumes are interesting, with some choices that initially made me question what I was looking at, but ultimately they all work. Everything feels cohesive within this version of Victorian London, and each character has their own visual identity.

The lighting by Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs is a wonderful mix of intimate and big-scale. The washes and spots work beautifully, while the haze adds to certain effects in a really clever way. I particularly liked how everything blended while still letting each location feel distinct. Adam Fisher's sound was nice, clear, and well balanced. You never felt swamped by the sound, but you did feel completely immersed in the production.

George Reeve's projections were enjoyable and served the production well when used. They never felt like they were there just because the production could use projections; instead, they helped build the world when needed. The wigs, hair and makeup by Liv Burton and her team just stole the show for me. With so many different characters, each one felt completely distinct, and all that maintenance on those wigs must take quite a while! They all looked stunning, whilst the makeup also served the time period beautifully. Even slight changes were enough to make each one feel like a completely new character.

Lionel Bart's book is one we all know and love, and it has been, and always will be, a classic for a reason. It's a wonderful story full of love and heart that keeps you gripped, even when you already know exactly where it's going. And William David Brohn's original music and lyrics partnered with Stephen Metcalfe's new orchestrations are equally strong. Many songs have become part of musical theatre history, and this score has remained so loved for generations for good reason. And I did like the new meaning brought to some of them.

Oscar Conlon-Morrey's Fagin was superbly funny and brought the role to life, making him a lovable, funny villain. I think Fagin is the only villain you can't help but fall in love with, and Oscar executed this perfectly. He had such wonderful energy and comedic timing throughout.

Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes was also wonderfully impressive and made the perfect villain. He was scary and dark, but also just a wonderful presence on stage. Whenever he entered, the atmosphere changed.

Aaron MacGregor as the Artful Dodger was wonderful, charming and charismatic. He brought life and energy to the role that I hadn't seen before, with a cheekiness that made him a joy to watch.

What makes this version of Oliver! particularly interesting is how different it feels from any other version you may have seen. It feels much more intimate, but that makes the show even better. There is still plenty of spectacle, but it never feels like spectacle for spectacle's sake. The production understands when to go big and when to pull everything back, and that balance works incredibly well. This is Oliver! in a form that appears equally familiar and completely refreshed. It still has the story, songs and characters that we all know, but this production finds new ways to make them feel exciting again.

Oliver! is currently playing at the Gielgud Theatre. The running time is about 2 hours 40 minutes, including an interval, and the production is currently booking through 14 March 2027.

Book tickets here: https://oliverthemusical.com/