The grimy streets of 19th century London inspired Charles Dickens to pen the serialised story of Oliver Twist; staged at the Jenny Kerry theatre at Ryde School we, the audience, were treated to Lionel Bart’s adaptation of this timeless tale. The well appointed theatre is transported to Victorian London with a stunningly authentic set, setting the stage for the year 7-9 production of Oliver!. The weight of such a well-known and much loved musical is a hefty one and brings lots of demand for a young cast to deliver the energy and impact of multiple showstoppers; thankfully this show delivered!

For those unfamiliar with this seminal musical, the plot provides a Dickensian vehicle to expose the squalid underbelly of the rapidly industrialising London. Set in Victorian England, the show tells the story of an orphan boy, Oliver, who is thrown out of the workhouse for uttering the line, “Please sir, I want some more”. He is then sold to heartless undertakers who he in turn escapes from to seek his fortune in the city..

In London, Oliver meets the charismatic and colourful Artful Dodger who invites him to join his friends at Devil’s Acre with the infamous Fagin. This humorously-flawed villainous wheeler-dealer greats Oliver and explains that he sends his gang of young pickpockets out to thieve for him.

Oliver then meets Nancy, a tough but kindly lover of Bill Sikes, the area’s notorious malefactor, who takes a shine to Oliver. Sent out on his first pick pocketing mission, Oliver is arrested but in a stroke of luck the caring Mr Brownlow takes pity on Oliver and takes him in.

Fagin and Sikes are determined to get Oliver back so that he doesn’t report them to the authorities. In a series of theatrical revelations Oliver’s true identity is revealed and his future appears to be secured. Salvation is finally secured for Oliver and he can look forward to a life of care and happiness.

This production of Oliver boasts an extensive cast of 82 with a total of over 100 students who have ‘poured their passion’ into the show. The cast is a mixture of those who are familiar and not so familiar to the stage and this mix of experience is well managed by the creative team who allow all to have their moment in the spotlight, playing to their strengths. 

Maddison O’Connor does the title role justice with strong vocals and an innocence that develops into determination and a drive for a better life. The wonderfully eccentric Artful Dodger is portrayed by the energetic Edward Atrill who shines in both Consider Yourself and I’d Do Anything. Dulcie Walker delivers a heartfelt performance as Nancy managing to impart the undertones of her deeply tragic, complex and abusive bond with the fearsome Bill Sikes whilst also delivering rousing vocals – one to watch! Nancy is very well supported in her endeavours by the loyal Bet ably played by Rafella Jones.

James McCracken as the aforementioned Bill was both chilling and unhinged, most notably in his eerie and intense delivery of ‘My Name’. The iconic Fagin is playfully performed with bundles of gusto by Eva Smith-Carter. The Creepy Sowerberry Undertakers were a well rehearsed troupe of Ms and Ms Sowerberry Ivy Nicklin and Hettie Maskell and the vicious Charlotte and Noah, Cora Nicklin and Freddie Daville.

Mr Bumble and Widow Corney provided a well matched pairing and were performed by Tom Seward and Boudica Lawal-Rieley respectively. Towards the end of the story the righteous determined Mr Brownlow, Arthur Bowden and kindly Mrs Bedwin, Olivia Byron provide a timely rescue for Oliver. The blundering, skeptical Dr Grimwig is confidently embodied by George Cook who brings genuine moments of humour to the bedroom scene.

In addition to the lead and named roles, the ensemble as a whole bring a great degree of skill and energy to the performance and also demonstrate the depth of talent within the cast with some stand out vocal and cameo turns.

With showstoppers such as ‘Food Glorious Food’ and ‘Where is love?’ it would be easy to forget the lesser known songs but this wasn’t the case with a real highlight of the show coming in the form of the delightfully unhinged performance of ‘That’s your funeral’ with Ms and Ms Sowerberry and despicable Charlotte. The raucous ‘Consider yourself’ harnesses the power of the large ensemble whilst skillfully rotating various different groups of dancers who deliver a blast of zeal and choreographical magic! Hats off to Suzy Morris!

Dulcie’s rendition of ‘As Long as he needs me’  was both powerful and poignant; telling the tale of the abusive and doomed nature of her relationship with Bill. The celebrated ‘Who will buy’ allowed the strength of the show’s ensemble to shine, intertwined with Oliver’s own journey, it juxtaposed the plight of life surviving on the streets of the capital.

It was a wonderful decision in selecting this classic musical to both develop the love of theatre for those new to the stage whilst allowing those more experienced in performance to deliver wholehearted and impassioned performances for an eager audience. Plaudits must go to the creative team – the directorial vision of Charlie Youlten, the musical prowess of Miriam Walker and her splendid band (including Rafferty Moore as assistant MD) and the incredible choreography of Suzy Morris. 

We are very much looking forward to Ryde Schools next offering, their senior show, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ in November.