Oliver! is ideal for Christmas: filled to the brim with catchy, feel good tunes; larger than life characters with real warmth and a marvellous melodramatic plot.

King's students, as they always do, rose to the occasion last week to perform two highly entertaining renditions of this classic, family show, saving the best performance until last on Friday night, where energy, focus and polished performances came together much to the audience's delight. The cast want to go on tour with it next week....!

For more pictures, click here

Review of “Oliver!” by Ros Vita

“Please Sir, can I have some more…” echoed exactly the sentiment of the audience as we filed out of the Fitzjames Theatre having watched the School’s production of “Oliver!” In short, it was a triumph.

Mr Stainton and his team, Dam Wylie, Albert Shuck, Scarlet Wright and Mr Walker, transformed the stage into the Dickensian back-streets of London, where Fagin (Jack Potter) and his band of cockney urchins successfully picked a pocket or two. The toe-tapping audience was swept along by the energy emanating from the gang as they sang and danced their way through much loved songs such as “Food Glorious Food” and “Oom-Pah-Pah”.

Esther Adenuga (Oliver) perfectly captured Oliver’s demure innocence and her clear, pitch-perfect voice was very moving as she sang “Where is love?” Josh Hope Kibble (Mr Bumble) and Ellena Loughrey (Widow Corney) the heartless and greedy owners of the workhouse, livened up the show by leading the cast through the brilliantly choreographed number “Oliver!”, before going on to sell him to Archie Cobb and Annabel Black as Mr and Mrs Sowerberry; Annabel Black hobbled around the stage making us all laugh at her character’s surprisingly supple dexterity and shrewish ways. Tom Hudson played the cheeky Artful Dodger with roguish aplomb and brilliantly swept Oliver into one of the family and a life of crime with his rendition of “Consider Yourself”.

However, it was Jack Potter, as Fagin, who proceeded to take the play to a new high. Such was his transformation, that when he first entered the stage wearing his wonderful costume, swirling his hands with pocket-picking precision and tapping his cane as he charismatically sang and danced around the stage, the audience had to refer to their programmes to see who was playing the part! He and the cast roused the audience with a quite brilliant rendition of “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” while using the multi-layered stage set and lighting to wonderful effect.

 Imogen Moore (Nancy) was also in a class of her own. Her superb voice and lively, flirtatious acting while singing “It’s a Fine Life” made the audience instantly fall in love with her. Her desperate plight in the hands of the evil Bill Sykes, played by Alen Safaryan, was deeply moving and when she sang “As Long As He Needs Me”, the mesmerised audience agreed she must surely be a star in the making. Meanwhile, wearing his long, black, leather coat, Alen Safaryan made a few hearts stop beating with his sultry, dark, good looks, in spite of him eventually murdering the adored Nancy.  

But we should not forget soloists: Eleanor Smith, Cara Valentine, Santina McKechnie, Ella Corlett, Kiara Jones, Clara Bracey, Christo Bradstock, who beautifully sang a skilfully  choreographed version of “Who will buy”. Their appealing voices were supported by the deeper undertones of Archie Cobb’s base voice, adding to the overall entertainment of the piece. Lucy Little (Mrs Bedwin) sang a beautiful and tender reprise of “Where is love?” to a sleeping Oliver and Caitlin Marsh (Charlotte) also gave a lively, charismatic performance delivered with aplomb.

Finally, a special acknowledgement must go to Mr Gorodi and Mr Marshfield and their band of merry music makers who sustained the show from beginning to end. Pupils, Rebecca Bracey, Catherine Couldson and Jenny Paterson were particularly impressive.

Not only was the show a huge success in its own right, but it also gave a much needed lift-of-the- spirits to the audience, who, inevitably were tired-out after and long but rewarding Michaelmas term. Christmas surely couldn’t have got off to a better start and there has been a buzz in the Bruton air ever since. All that remains to be said is a huge thank you to each and everyone involved in the play, sadly too many to list here, and especially to the Director, Miss King, as without her professionalism and dedication this wonderful musical would never have happened.