CONSIDER YOUR SHOW A GREAT SUCCESS!

The well-loved musical ‘Oliver!’ is traditionally produced by large groups with lots of young boys, to play the workhouse boys and Fagin’s little thieves.  So could Great Glen’s Main Street Theatre Company find a cast of 28 and manage eight different sets, in the small village hall? Yes - they could! ‘Oliver!’ is a triumph!

They cast Neil Marshall as Artful Dodger instead of a boy.  Neil also doubled as Old Sally - very versatile!  And in a gender change, Oliver was played by the sweet voiced Alice Pennington.  Did it matter?  You would swear that this was what Lionel Bart intended.  Kevin Gilbert as Fagin was marvellous.  The musical director, Richard Palmer, was a huge and menacing Bill Sykes, with his dog, Bullseye (noisy, but invisible!) by his side.  Zara Kent was a heartbreaking Nancy.  I loved Barry Barnes as the henpecked Mr Bumble with Widow Corney (Bev Fitzpatrick) giving him hell.  The Sowerberry’s, Gordon Dainty and Alex Briggs Dolman, were perfectly cast (and quite horrible!) and Adam Williamson as Oliver’s tormentor Noah deserves special mention.  Oliver’s saviours, Mr Brownlow and Mrs Bedwin, (Paul and Anne King) were everyone’s dream  grandparents.

All the young people in the cast gave sterling support.  Their dancing and singing were spot on.  The musical numbers were well sung and choreographed, so did I have a favourite?  Who could resist ‘Who Will Buy?’ with the street sellers, beautifully dressed as usual by Sylvia Smith.  It had real charm.  However, ‘Oliver!’ belongs to the children, and it’s their numbers like ‘Food, Glorious Food’, ‘Be Back Soon’, I’d Do Anything’, and ‘Consider Yourself’ that we sang all the way home.

Congratulations to Jennie Vines, the director/producer, and to all involved, for a treat of a show!

Written by Vivien Window - Article printed in Harborough Mail on November 24, 2005