Reviewing The Situation – Oliver!

Every production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! will forever live in the shadow of 1968 when Carol Reed’s movie of the same name won a clutch of Oscars and, in doing so, embedded the likes of Ron Moody and Oliver Reed into our psyches for ever.

And it was that memory – like it or not – that people of a certain age will most probably judge director James Brining’s Christmas offering at Leeds Playhouse, where he has delivered a gloriously rich tapestry but with, for me, a number of flaws.

This is a great show, no doubt – one of the best – and last night Fagin’s gang and the workhouse kids were fantastic; so committed and talented. They gave their all in a production featuring a spectacular set, courtesy of Colin Richmond.

Transforming the main Quarry auditorium into theatre in the round, Richmond gave Brining the space and height in which to stage Be Back Soon – it had a brilliant sense of movement from start to finish – the triple levels of Who Will Buy? and the drama of Bill Sikes’ death fall.

However, and somewhat ironically, I felt that the minor weaknesses lay with some of the principals rather than the ensemble.

Nancy (Jenny Fitzpatrick) had a great voice but looked as though she had just won the Colgate smile competition with near perfect make-up: East end cockney girl from London? I fear not.

Overall, a great performance but I wanted to hear a more considered approach to As Long As He Needs Me. This is a love song, not an X Factor ‘torch’ song that didn’t require the body contortions and closed eyes she adopted as she pushed to the end of the number.

Steve Furst as Fagin gave a workmanlike performance but that was it. He threw so much of the part away, certainly the dialogue, and his lyrics were raced as though he wanted to get to the end of each song as quickly as possible, Reviewing the Situation being a case in point: his interpretation or lack of direction from a member of the musical production team? I needed more of the cunning, slightly sinister, Jewish gang leader that Fagin was, not the amiable matey matey characterisation that he gave.

Chris Bennett’s Bill Sikes was excellent: threatening and psychotic, whilst the cameo duo of Mr Bumble (Minal Patel) and his workhouse sidekick, Widow Corney (Rose Ede) were superb, almost like the Thenardiers from Les Miserables!

The production was atmospheric – the suspended Victorian lamps and microphone reverb of Mr Bumble’s haunting Boy For Sale – and I noted some script additions to the original which I didn’t feel added much value – Fagin’s monologue with his jewels, something I originally observed in 2012 and brought in to expand Neil Men Behaving Badly Morrissey’s part when he took the role of Fagin.

And yet this was still a great production which not only had the audience on its feet, but continues the tradition of seasonal offerings at Leeds Playhouse.

It is a brave choice, for anyone picking up the Oliver! gauntlet always has big shoes to fill.

Mr Brining has done the Playhouse proud with a colourful show that is set on an expansive canvas and brims with colour and charisma if, at times, challenged on the edges of characterisation. Still, well worth seeing.