Review: OLIVER!, Leeds Playhouse
Photo credit: Alastair Muir
Leeds Playhouse’s hotly anticipated revival of Lionel Bart’s classic musical Oliver!, adapted from Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist, has opened to sell out audiences and rave reviews, and – spoiler alert – you can add this review to the list of rave reviews.
Oliver! tells the story of orphan boy Oliver Twist who finds his way to London to make his fortune. He becomes tied up with a gang of pickpockets, before being taken in by a kind-hearted wealthy gentleman.
For this production, Leeds Playhouse has been transformed into an in-the-round auditorium and it works wonderfully, making the show feel intimate whilst epic. Director James Brining makes use of every inch of the stage and various walkways and bridges – more usage of the aisles in the ‘traditional’ seating would have helped all audience members feel immersed regardless of where they were sitting. Brining’s production of Oliver! is traditional, giving us everything we know and love, whilst feeling a little fresh and never dated. Colin Richmond’s costumes are similarly evocative of the iconic outfits we know, whilst being original and creative. Richmond’s set design is great – often in an in-the-round setting, you can feel like you lose out on physical set pieces, but that is never the case here. It is always completely clear where we are supposed to be.
Lucy Hind’s choreography is a highlight of the production. It is energetic and fun, and she integrates the child cast and adult cast seamlessly – it is wonderful to see very little differentiation between the different cast members based on their age. The orchestra, under the musical direction of Luke Holman, sound phenomenal. Despite only being around ten in size, the sound they make is huge and rich. It is a delight to hear them play and it is a shame we never get to see them.
Keston & Keston have assembled a ridiculously talented young cast for this production. Three actors share the roles of Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger. Nicholas Teixeira appeared as Oliver in this performance, and he is outstanding. He is immediately warm and likeable, with a beautiful voice. His rendition of ‘Where Is Love?’ is powerful and stirring. Felix Holt takes on the role of the Artful Dodger. He brings the cheeky chappy persona to life very well, building a great rapport with the other young actors and adults including Fagin and Nancy.
Annelie Powell CDG, with Alice Walters, have assembled an adult cast just as talented. Steve Furst is a wonderful Fagin. He has heartfelt relationships with others on stage, and never feels like he is playing anything up for laughs. He has a strong stage presence and leads his range of musical numbers effortlessly. His rapport with the children is wonderful to watch. Chris Bennett captures the pain and anger of Bill Sikes perfectly. He is frightening, posing a real threat to the safety of Oliver and others around him, whilst never stepping into panto villain territory. Bennett completely humanises the role, just as Furst humanises Fagin, never letting either role become caricatures.
Minal Patel is well cast as Mr Bumble, making a great duo with Rosie Ede as Widow Corney. They bounce off of one another brilliantly, creating some fun moments. Simon Green’s Mr Brownlow is warm and likeable, with Rachel Laurence giving an equally lovely performance as Mrs Bedwin.
Frankie Hart plays Bet, best friend to Nancy, who delivers some excellent vocals. Often Bet can feel very sidelined beyond her first appearance, but Brining weaves the character throughout the show and Hart demonstrates her tremendous acting ability whilst not having much dialogue. She is truly captivating, and it is a challenge to keep your eyes off her.
In this production, however, it is musical theatre veteran Jenny Fitzpatrick’s Nancy who steals the show. She is perfectly likeable, bringing the hopeless romantic side to Nancy to life beautifully. She is feisty, making sure Nancy always stands up for herself. Her vocals are phenomenal throughout the show, with ‘I’d Do Anything’ and ‘It’s A Fine Life’ being brilliant numbers to watch. Her rendition of ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ brings the house down, although - at times - it does feel slightly faster than it needs to be.
Leeds Playhouse’s production of Oliver! is traditional with just enough hints of innovation. The cast is truly phenomenal, and the choreography and staging is world class. Hopefully Leeds Playhouse will not be where this production starts and ends, as this cast deserves to see a West End stage.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Jacob Bush
Oliver! plays at Leeds Playhouse until 27 January 2024, with further information here.