Image credit: Johan Persson
Lionel Bart's musicalisation of the Dickens novel Oliver Twist broke records after it opened in the West End in 1960. With its built-in exclamation mark, Oliver! went on to conquer Broadway three years later and has been revived numerous times since, although many people's first introduction to it was probably through the 1968 film version.
The winner of an Oscar for best picture still holds up brilliantly, and Cameron Mackintosh's revivals at the London Palladium in 1994 and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2008 failed to match its brilliance. To my memory, they were overblown, overly cheerful and lacked the movie and its source material's dark undertones.
The same cannot be said of Mackintosh's latest retelling, which is now on in London after proving to be Chichester Festival Theatre's biggest success ever last summer. It's easy to see why. He has "fully reconceived" the show in collaboration with Matthew Bourne, who choreographed previous productions and this time directs it too
Gone is the bloat that was needed to fill the likes of the Palladium and Drury Lane's huge stages. The Gielgud is a more intimate house, although Bourne fills every bit of its smaller performance space with the spectacle and high spirits of big numbers like It's A Fine Life and I'd Do Anything - both of which are the very definition of musical theatre in all its glory.
But, a couple of casting choices aside, character depth and Dickensian darkness are fully restored. Bathed in deep shadows with a revolving podium that's a feat of engineering, it's like Tim Burton meets Les Miserables.
Don't worry, though; this Oliver! is as rowdy, rousing and rambunctious as it should be. Bourne does credit to one of the greatest British musicals ever, as do most of his cast.
The high-voiced Aaron Sidwell isn't menacing enough as the murderous Bill Sikes and I suspect many will have mixed feelings about Simon Lipkin's softer-than-usual Fagin, with his panto-style, anachronistic asides to the audience.
Shanay Holmes, though, makes for a fantastic Nancy, raising the roof with a gutsy Oom-Pah-Pah and breaking hearts with As Long As He Needs Me. On press night Cian-Eagle Service was an endearing Oliver and gelled well with Billy Jenkins, whose Artful Dodger is a nimble-footed cheeky chappie as he leads the ensemble in a beautifully choreographed Consider Yourself.
In the Food, Glorious Food song that starts the show Oliver has the impertinence to ask for more. Two and a half hours later you'll be left wanting more of this glorious restaging.
The fact that it's already extended its run until March 2026 (and I wouldn't be surprised if there are further extensions once word gets around) means there's plenty of time for revisits.
Saga has teamed up with London Theatre Direct to offer you tickets at the best prices.
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