A SHOW packed full of well-known songs and characters, plus the presence of small boys and a dog to give it extra appeal, is a sure-fire winner even before the first notes are sung.
Armed with all this, Margaret Coltman’s spirited production could hardly fail. The company’s strength lies in its ensemble work, with big numbers such as Oom Pah Pah and Who Will Buy tackled enthusiastically by a sparkling adult chorus and equal enthusiasm from the ‘ workhouse boys’ in their songs.
Joe Young is an appealing Oliver and Matthew Jeans a confident Artful Dodger (the roles are shared with Alex Simou (correct) and Lee Redwood), and there are some lovely characterisations from the adult principals, in particular Brian Oliver (Mr Bumble), Marie Coltman (Nancy), Marie Blake (Bet) and Simon Dade (Bill Sykes). Unfortunately John Thurgood’s oddly balletic Fagin seemed too unsure of his words to be entirely convincing.
Also on the down side, both the production and music dragged at times, and it was a pity that despite an elaborate set it was still necessary for some characters to have to mime opening and closing doors rather than using real ones. But, on reviewing the situation, maybe I’m being picky - the audience plainly loved it.
Linda Kirkman
Courtesy of the Bournemout Daily Echo