REVIEW | Oliver, Leeds Playhouse

Reviews

4 Dec

Written by Kirsty

Disclaimer: We were invited to watch this performance in return for an honest review.

For so many people, the timeless movie musical Oliver is a favourite over the festive season, and this year we have been treated to a new stage adaptation of the Lionel Bart classic at Leeds Playhouse.

Directed by James Brining, the classic musical is given a modern spin without losing the spirit or setting of the musical which is of course based on the Charles Dickens novel and set within Victorian Britain. From the opening number “Food, Glorious Food” it is clear that the young company of the show are truly phenomenal and Nicholas Teixeira as Oliver was instantly the centre of the action. Teixeria was amazing throughout the whole show, and his emotion in numbers such as “Where Is Love?” was palpable and he effortlessly held his own against the adult performers, especially in the darker scenes with Chris Bennett’s Bill Sikes. His scenes with Jenny Fitzpatrick’s Nancy were beautiful and you could really feel the connection between Oliver and Nancy.

The young company were all wonderful, and were seamless in every scene but “Consider Yourself” and “I’d Do Anything” were shining examples of how well they all worked together. During the group numbers, you couldn’t pick out one particular performer to concentrate on, and it was so refreshing to see a truly diverse young company including Aness Ahmed who showed that being a wheelchair user is no barrier to musical theatre and always felt an integral part of the company of young people. Lucy Hinds’s choreography was very strong, and really utilised the full space of the Quarry stage and Colin Richmond’s set and costume design. The production is staged in the round, and I don’t think that any side of the theatre would have had a lesser experience which again showed Hinds choreography to its full power and strength.

Felix Holt, who played the Artful Dodger was a revelation, and was a vocal star in “Consider Yourself”, and really showed the depth of his acting ability in scenes with Steve Furst’s Fagin; and he and Texieira were the perfect partners as Dodger was showing Oliver the ropes and it felt like Dodger really just wanted to help Oliver find somewhere he could call home.

Steve Furst was incredible as Fagin, with Furst showing the real human side of the character, which all too often can become a caricature and very stereotypical. In numbers such as “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” and “I’d Do Anything” there was a real sense of Fagin and his gang being a found family, and even though Fagin could run away and abandon the young people, Furst shows Fagins real human side. My standout moment for Furst was “Reviewing The Situation '' which is definitely one of my favourite songs from the show and Furst did not disappoint.

Jenny Fitzpatrick truly shone as Nancy who is without doubt the heart of the show. Having seen Fitzpatrick in shows such as “Rock of Ages” I knew we were in for a strong performance, however in “As Long as He Needs Me” Fitzpatrick effortlessly blew the roof off the Quarry Playhouse and is a true vocal powerhouse. Her final scenes with Bill Sikes were truly heart wrenching and emotional, and I was really hoping that Nancy’s story would end in a different way. Fitzpatrick was always the centre of attention everytime she was on stage, and there was no better way to open Act 2 than her rousing and joyous “Oom-Pah-Pah”.

The adult company was just as strong as the young company, with standout performances from Minal Patel and Rosie Ede as Mr Bumble and Widow Corney; “I Shall Scream” was hilarious and even though they are both horrid characters, they were the perfect comic relief. In their second acts scenes with Simon Green’s Mr Brownlow, it struck me that Patel and Ede would be perfect as the Thenardiers in a future cast of Les Miserables. Harry Waller and Laura Cairns were perfectly sinister as Mr and Mrs Sowerberry which was perfectly shown in “That’s Your Funeral”.

Oliver hasn’t been in the West End for over a decade, and I think this production would be a perfect one to transfer to the West End and as another family show is something that would be welcome in the West End. There would need to be some small adjustments such as sound mixing as at times the band was overpowering the vocals of the performers. Other than that the show is ready for a wider audience. With the show running until playing until 27 January 2024, there is still plenty of time to us all to discover what a fine life this show really is.