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Nicholas de Jongh's rating
Oliver! needs more of a twist
By
Nicholas de Jongh
15 Jan 2009
What extraordinary excitement Lionel Bart’s Oliver! still stirs, almost 50 years after the critics first rained down applause upon this back-to-music-hall rendition of Charles Dickens’s London melodrama-novel. What, though, this time kept the first-nighters teetering on the verge of delighted hysteria throughout the almost £5 million extravaganza?
Was it perhaps the fact that Anthony Ward’s wonderful sets brought to life in vivid style the Victorian equivalent of a 21st century, begrimed, sink-estate? St Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge, a viaduct, tall tenement buildings in murky, narrow streets, down which streaked boys from the juvenile underworld – all these moved, rose up, went down, shifted and retreated like living things. Even the atmospheric skies, whether pink or blue, looked as if they needed to be sent back to central cleaning to remove excess of industrial grime and smoke. How appropriate, then, that in this Oliver! where design comes first, Bill Sikes should spectacularly topple to his death from a chimney.
Or was success owed to Rowan Atkinson’s mildly semitic Fagin, all dressed down in lank, thinning hair and wisps of beard, more frightened than frightening? Did they rate him a glassy eyed maestro of pick-pocketing, voice glue-thick even when singing, as he leered, jeered and gloated his way around his thieves’ den of willing juveniles, reminding them You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two? Perhaps no one could resist the lure of Jodie Prenger, the girl who fought it out in BBC1’s I’d Do Anything and secured the role of the put-upon Nancy. With a blasting foghorn of a voice and a physique that looked almost big and firm enough to cause Burn Gorman’s superbly ominous, thuggish threat of a Bill Sikes to think twice about violence, Prenger duly melted and belted out that anthem for masochistic, battered women everywhere As Long As He Needs Me.
With what stupid loyalty her Nancy scooped up the sweetly spoken and sung Oliver of a soulful Harry Stott and helped return him to his captors — all for love of Bill.
I pose these questions because I did not that greatly succumb to Bart’s Oliver. I came out hymning the praises of designer Ward. Those hungry boys still sing Food Glorious Food with touching ardour, Oom-Pah- Pah is old music hall deftly modernised and Matthew Bourne’s choreography looks neatly animated. Yet I felt director Rupert Goold, whose revelatory productions of Macbeth and Six Characters In Search Of An Author have deservedly made him the theatre’s latest golden boy, came up with a traditional, unadventurous Oliver.
He kept to the line of Sam Mendes’s Palladium production too closely. He rendered the nasty, violent and corrupt world of Oliver Twist rather pantomimic — only Julian Bleach as the sinister undertaker, Mr Sowerberry singing That’s Your Funeral, artfully conveyed elements of the sinister, grotesque and comic. Even Atkinson, though his imagination allows him to give Fagin a touch of transvestism, left my blood mildly chilled. A smash hit, obviously, but not an historic one.
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Reader views (9)
This revival of Oliver! is sublime. It is perfectly pitched between the 1994 SamMendes production, which highlighted the serious issues from the original book and the jaunty fun of the movie. Rowan Atkinson adds a unique layer of theatricality to Fagin, including talking to rubies and crystals from his illicit jewellery box. His star wattage is ablaze in the best version of You've Got To Pick A Pocket or Two I've ever seen. Moreover, Jodie Prenger is the definitive Nancy. Her irrepressible warmth is well-suited to It's A Fine Life and I'd Do Anything whilst her dramatic, passionate As Long As He Needs Me is outstanding. Her devotion to Bill Sikes is utterly believable and this is helped by a wonderful performance by Burn Gorman. Finally, the musical has a truly nasty Sikes rather than a panto villain. The epic costumes, sets and dazzling production numbers (Consider Yourself and Oom-Pah-Pah, particularly) fit better on the deep Drury Lane stage than the Palladium and the finale sends you out with a heavenly glow. A glittering success all round.
- Dj, London, 15/06/2009 13:50
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I was really disappointed in Oliver. The set and the choreography were the stars. I am a fan of Rowan Atkinson but this is really not where his 'A' talent lies. Ron Moody will forever be the definitive performance of course, but Rowan was more pantomime dame that inhabiting Fagin. What an opportunity he missed going just for laughs. All the subtlety was missed by a mile. His is such an intelligent man that I couldn't believe he wouldn't listen to the lyrics a bit more and work with the Director on the crossroads Fagin gets to. No relationship was built between Bill Sykes and Nancy at all, so her heartrending song had little point. Also um - pa -pa should be sung when Nancy is trying to distract people to get Oliver to his grandfather. It was misplaced in the show as just a pub song. Dear oh dear. The boys were great and so was Dodger. They outshone the adults. The end was so rushed, the audience laughed when Bill Sykes was shot. Pity.... This was a production with no heart, but, hey, the box office bookings are incredible, what should the producers care. I am just puzzled why most of the critics loved it. I must have missed something.
- Sue Moore, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, 05/03/2009 14:02
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If like us if you watched 'I'll do anything' you will not be dis-appointed with this performance. Jodie & Laurence were excellent. In addition to this Rowan Atkinson was so unique and brought 'Fagin's' characture to another level which was a great joy to sit and watch. I would recommend this show to anyone, just hope a DVD is produced.
- Steve, Colchester, 23/02/2009 19:15
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What a disappointing show. I booked the tickets immediately they went on sale for my family of four adults on the night of 28th January. We flew from Dublin to London where we spent two nights. I watched the BBC program 'I'd do anything' and couldn't wait to see Jodie Prenger as 'Nancy' and a bonus was to have Rowan Atkinson as 'Fagan'. The show has only been on a couple of weeks and the night we went we were told that Rowan Atkinson would not be preforming. My family were particularly disappointed by this. But to my great disappointment when 'Nancy' arrived on stage, Jodie Prenger was not performing the part. I was gutted.
I have seen 'Les Miserables' and 'Phantom Of The Opera' by Cameron Mackintosh and thoroughly enjoyed them but Oliver does not have the same WOW! factor. The set was excellent and Eric Dibb-Fuller as the 'Artful Dodger' is an absolutely fantastic little actor.
Any show I attended in the West End received a standing ovation but the night I went only about five people stood up to applause. It was obvious that my family were not the only disappointed fans of the West End show.
- Jeanette Ashmore, Ireland, 03/02/2009 11:56
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Amazing night out! Fantastic cast and scenery. All the kids were brilliant (especially Little Nipper).
Orchestra sounded great and the trumpets really shone through with style and panache. If you're feeling a bit blue go to see this show, It'll perk you up!
- Andy White, Harrow, 17/01/2009 11:32
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I was so happy to get some returns tickets yesterday to see it, it was great, very entertaining, Nancy and Fagin are superb whether you are a fan of Atkinson or not...true that Atkinson gives Fagin a certain helpless quality but it brings the character alive nicely and makes him even creepier. Absolutely amazing set. I loved it, it's a must!
- Mt, London, 16/01/2009 09:21
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Oh pure wonderful bliss! I remember it just like it was yesterday. Lionel and I were sitting in the Freight Train coffee house in Soho. He was writing the score for Oliver and I in disbelief was saying, "Who in the world would want to see a Charles Dickens musical." He replied "Wait and see, Jon. Wait and see."
Now, 50 years later, I am stranded here in U.S.A. wishing that I could be in London to see it again. Break a leg Rowan. Being a set designer myself I drool at the thought of what Anthony Ward has done with the set. I'm sure it is mind boggling. Oliver was always a designers dream opportunity.
May it run long, and longer.
- Jon Vickers, SC USA, 15/01/2009 22:35
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This show was very enjoyable.All of the cast were strong.Particularly memorable was the Artful Dodger and also Little Nipper.The choreography was slick and the production was well-communicated even in the back rows.Jodie's voice was so powerful that the seats were vibrating!
Fagin dominated the stage-as you'd expect of such an experienced performer as Rowan Atkinson.He threw in many of the Mr. Bean mannerisms-and put into good use his ability to use his body in a very flexible and rather grotesque way.
This show helped to lift the spirits and I would thoroughly recommend it.
- Jenny Turner, Mkt Deeping, 15/01/2009 22:27
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You expect him to say at any moment ... "Baldrick!"... and hear back ..."I have a cunning plan, sir"
- Marke, Houston, Texas, 15/01/2009 19:24
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