Oliver!

Oliver! Is back in town, with a West End transfer that delivers thrills in so many ways. First, the cast. We have Simon Lipkin (Guys and Dolls, Avenue Q) as Fagin, Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon, The Bodyguard) as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell (Henry VI, Wicked) as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins (Les Misérables, BBC's Dodger) as the Artful Dodger and Philip Franks (The Rocky Horror Show, Witness for the Prosecution) as Mr Brownlow. There’s an impressive creative team behind this latest revival in a string of long-runs going right back to 1960, when Lionel Bart first wrote the book, songs and lyrics.

The plot follows young orphaned Oliver, who flees a brutal workhouse to find a new home in sleazy underground London with the entrepreneurial Fagin and his gang of child pickpockets, kind hearted Nancy, and of course the Artful Dodger. Although the story is almost two centuries old, it’s still powerful stuff. And the show tunes are magical. It’s directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne and co-directed by Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy, with a new take on the sets from the legendary Lez Brotherston, who recreates Victorian London ingeniously and atmospherically. A real festive treat!