*/
Review by Daniel Barnett
This spectacular show arrives back in London after a 15-year rest, with a stunning production and actors whose talent leaves you adoring every moment of this wonderful, classic musical.
Who doesn’t know the story behind Lionel Bart’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel? Surprisingly posh workhouse orphan Oliver Twist is sold to an undertaker, where he is bullied until he flees to London. He meets up with a gang of likeable cockney pickpockets, led by Fagin and the Artful Dodger, but is mistakenly arrested by a wealthy benefactor who turns out to be… well, the plot gets a bit implausible here, but nothing can spoil this show.
This show is all about the music. Soaring ballads such as ‘As Long as He Needs Me’, ‘It’s a Fine Life’ and ‘Where is Love?’. Brilliant comedy pieces, including ‘Oom Pah Pah’ and ‘You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two’. There’s not a single fail in the entire repertoire.
I’ve never liked previous incarnations. I’ve seen several amateur productions, the 2004 production with Jonathan Pryce, and the 2009 production with both Rowan Atkinson and Omid Djalili (remember the casting of Nancy, on the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything? That was for this). They left me cold, perhaps because I knew the film so well and little could compare. But this production pulls it off. It’s genuinely better than the film.
Simon Lipkin, as Fagin, oscillates between a tragic, complex character determined to protect those around him, mediate internal disputes and take care for his friends’ futures, to a comedic parody invoking obvious tropes, but in such a camp way he avoids offence. He dominates the stage and rightly received enormous applause after each of his big numbers.
Shanah Holmes shines as Nancy. Her vocals are out of this world. Billie Jenkins is a hugely charismatic and talented Artful Dodger, swaggering around the stage like Charlie Stemp on steroids. The Olivers rotate; Cian Eagle-Service demonstrated vulnerability, timidity, integrity and a beautiful singing voice in a first-rate performance. It was impossible not to be drawn to him as a young child in need of protection. Mr and Mrs Sowerberry, the undertakers, were a cross between Riff-Raff and that woman from American Gothic. And Mr Bumble and his sidekick, Mrs Corney, were hilarious. In a lovely nod to the show’s history, Mrs Corney was played by Katy Secombe, whose father Harry Secombe played Mr Bumble in the film.
It’s not just the book, the score, and the acting that makes Oliver! a stand-out success. It’s directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, the famous ballet director. The stage regularly explodes into action as the huge cast takes on massive numbers like ‘Consider Yourself’, with the pulsating energy of Victorian slums emerging from an empty set with incredibly slick rapidity.
Oh, and then there’s Bill Sykes. Played by Aaron Sidwell, he is menacing, violent and sinister. Not in a pantomime way – he is genuinely threatening. From kicking Bullseye, his dog, to beating women and throttling Nancy to death, his descent into madness is a masterclass of acting.
See the show. You’ll love it. And if Oliver! doesn’t run for years, I’ll eat my head.
Daniel Barnett practises from Outer Temple Chambers and presents the legal hour on LBC Radio.
This spectacular show arrives back in London after a 15-year rest, with a stunning production and actors whose talent leaves you adoring every moment of this wonderful, classic musical.
Who doesn’t know the story behind Lionel Bart’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel? Surprisingly posh workhouse orphan Oliver Twist is sold to an undertaker, where he is bullied until he flees to London. He meets up with a gang of likeable cockney pickpockets, led by Fagin and the Artful Dodger, but is mistakenly arrested by a wealthy benefactor who turns out to be… well, the plot gets a bit implausible here, but nothing can spoil this show.
This show is all about the music. Soaring ballads such as ‘As Long as He Needs Me’, ‘It’s a Fine Life’ and ‘Where is Love?’. Brilliant comedy pieces, including ‘Oom Pah Pah’ and ‘You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two’. There’s not a single fail in the entire repertoire.
I’ve never liked previous incarnations. I’ve seen several amateur productions, the 2004 production with Jonathan Pryce, and the 2009 production with both Rowan Atkinson and Omid Djalili (remember the casting of Nancy, on the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything? That was for this). They left me cold, perhaps because I knew the film so well and little could compare. But this production pulls it off. It’s genuinely better than the film.
Simon Lipkin, as Fagin, oscillates between a tragic, complex character determined to protect those around him, mediate internal disputes and take care for his friends’ futures, to a comedic parody invoking obvious tropes, but in such a camp way he avoids offence. He dominates the stage and rightly received enormous applause after each of his big numbers.
Shanah Holmes shines as Nancy. Her vocals are out of this world. Billie Jenkins is a hugely charismatic and talented Artful Dodger, swaggering around the stage like Charlie Stemp on steroids. The Olivers rotate; Cian Eagle-Service demonstrated vulnerability, timidity, integrity and a beautiful singing voice in a first-rate performance. It was impossible not to be drawn to him as a young child in need of protection. Mr and Mrs Sowerberry, the undertakers, were a cross between Riff-Raff and that woman from American Gothic. And Mr Bumble and his sidekick, Mrs Corney, were hilarious. In a lovely nod to the show’s history, Mrs Corney was played by Katy Secombe, whose father Harry Secombe played Mr Bumble in the film.
It’s not just the book, the score, and the acting that makes Oliver! a stand-out success. It’s directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, the famous ballet director. The stage regularly explodes into action as the huge cast takes on massive numbers like ‘Consider Yourself’, with the pulsating energy of Victorian slums emerging from an empty set with incredibly slick rapidity.
Oh, and then there’s Bill Sykes. Played by Aaron Sidwell, he is menacing, violent and sinister. Not in a pantomime way – he is genuinely threatening. From kicking Bullseye, his dog, to beating women and throttling Nancy to death, his descent into madness is a masterclass of acting.
See the show. You’ll love it. And if Oliver! doesn’t run for years, I’ll eat my head.
Review by Daniel Barnett
The Chair of the Bar reports back
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how global events can influence the performance of pensions and ISAs, and why taking a long-term approach to investing is often the most effective strategy
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, discusses what family law professionals need to know about hallucinogens, from the main hallucinogenic drugs encountered in family proceedings, to their effects and the testing options available
Harmony Christian Ministries is the latest charity to benefit from a £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
By David Green
Mário Barroso, Head of R&D and Method Development at AlphaBiolabs, examines the forensic science underpinning hair drug testing, its evidential scope and limitations, and why it remains the gold standard for evidencing patterns of drug use in family proceedings
Developing a tech start-up demands a different definition of excellence to the Bar, says Saara Idelbi. The co-creator of Advocatr on entrepreneurship, AI advocacy training, and matching the thrill of a killer cross-examination
At the start of her term, Chair of the Bar 2026 Kirsty Brimelow KC set out a series of priorities for the year ahead. One of those priorities was children in the justice system
As the world becomes more digital, Barbara Vinagre Mota examines international research into the mental health consequences of judges’ exposure to graphic and immersive evidence, highlighting the importance of support systems
Reviewed by Daniel Barnett
James McNeill Whistler at Tate Britain until 27 September Rothko in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi until 23 August Reviewed by Stephen Cragg KC
