Everything you need to know about 'Oliver!'

Lionel Bart's family favourite musical returns to London's West End this winter, in a new production by Sir Matthew Bourne.

Julia Rank14 August, 2024, 08:00

There’s a little ditty they’re singing in the city… Perhaps the best-loved British musical of all time, Lionel Bart’s Oliver! returns to the West End this December in a new production by celebrated director/choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne, which had a celebrated run at Chichester Festival Theatre earlier this year.

Bart’s most famous musical has been delighting audiences since 1960, when Ron Moody and Georgia Brown starred as Fagin and Nancy at the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre). The show has enjoyed multiple revivals and the Oscar-winning 1968 film remains a firm favourite.

The score includes the classics “Food Glorious Food”, “As Long as He Needs Me”, and “Reviewing the Situation”. If ever there was a show to bring the generations together, this is it!

Check back for Oliver! tickets on London Theatre soon.

What is Oliver! about?

Oliver! is based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Set in Victorian England, the show tells the story of an orphan boy who is thrown out of the workhouse for uttering the line, “Please sir, I want some more”. After being sold to equally heartless undertakers, he runs away to London to seek his fortune.

In London, Oliver meets an outgoing boy known as the Artful Dodger who invites him to join him and his friends who live under the “care” of Fagin – a charismatically villainous wheeler-dealer who sends his gang of young pickpockets out to thieve for him.

Nancy, the tough but kindly lover of the fearsome Bill Sikes, takes a shine to Oliver. On his first pickpocketing mission, Oliver is arrested but the compassionate Mr Brownlow sees that he was not at fault and takes him in.

Fagin and Sikes are determined to get Oliver back so that he doesn’t report them to the authorities. Through a series of revelations, it becomes clear that Oliver is in fact Mr Brownlow’s long-lost grandson.

Nancy is murdered by Sikes helping Oliver to escape. Eventually Sikes is shot, Dodger arrested, and Oliver is reunited with Mr Brownlow. Fagin is left alone.

Who wrote Oliver!?

Lionel Bart wrote the music, lyrics and book. Born to a Jewish family in Stepney, his musical skills were largely self-taught, and he never learned to read or write music. Bart’s other musicals include Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'be, Maggie May, Blitz, and Twang!! (a costly flop).

His pop hits include “Living Doll” for Cliff Richard and “From Russia with Love”, for the James Bond film of the same name. Bart’s personal life was tumultuous and he died in 1999.

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Where is Oliver! playing?

Oliver! will play at the Gielgud Theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue. The theatre is currently home to 2:22 A Ghost Story. Prior to Oliver!, the venue will also host Frank Skinner: 30 Years of Dirt, and Mark Rylance in Juno and the Paycock. The theatre has a capacity of 986 seats.

When can I see Oliver!?

Oliver! starts performances on 14 December 2024 and is currently booking until 6 April 2025.

How long is Oliver!?

The show's running time is to be confirmed.

Major productions of Oliver!

Oliver! made its West End debut at the New Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) on 30 June 1960. The show was directed by Peter Coe and designed by Sean Kenny.

The original production eschewed star casting: Ron Moody, who had previously appeared in comedies and revues, played Fagin; Bart’s lifelong friend Georgia Brown was Nancy, and former professional boxer Danny Sewell was Bill Sikes. Barry Humphries played the supporting role of Mr Sowerberry, and Keith Hamshere and Martin Horsey created the roles of Oliver and the Artful Dodger. The show ran for a then record-breaking 2,618 performances.

The show was first seen on Broadway on 6 January 1963, where it played for 774 performances. Brown, Sewell and Humphries reprised their roles, with Clive Revill as Fagin. The show was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning three. Shortly after the original production closed, it reopened at the Martin Beck Theatre.

In 1967, Barry Humphries was promoted to the role of Fagin in a production at the Piccadilly Theatre. Cameron Mackintosh produced the show for the first time in 1977 at the original venue, starring Roy Hudd. This production was very faithful to the original.

Ron Moody reprised his Fagin for a limited run at the Aldwych Theatre in 1983 and the production transferred to Broadway the following year. The run was an unexpected flop that only lasted for 17 performances and 13 previews.

Much larger in scale than the original and showing the influence of the Oscar-winning 1968 film, Sam Mendes’s production opened at the London Palladium in December 1994. Jonathan Pryce and Sally Dexter played Fagin and Nancy, and Pryce’s successors included Russ Abbot, Jim Dale, and Robert Lindsay. The production closed in February 1998, followed by a UK tour.

The 2009 revival at Theatre Royal Drury Lane was preceded by the televised talent show I’d Do Anything, a search to find an actress to play Nancy. Winner Jodie Prenger starred opposite Rowan Atkinson’s Fagin. The production was directed by Rupert Goold and utilised many of the creative elements of the 1994 staging.

Across the pond, New York City Center staged Oliver! as part of its Encores! season in 2022, starring Raúl Esparza as Fagin.

This brand-new West End staging of Oliver!, which comes to the West End this winter, began at Chichester Festival Theatre earlier in the year.

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What awards has Oliver! won?

The original London production pre-dated the Olivier Awards. However, the original Broadway production was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won three, including Best Original Score.

The 1968 film version was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture and Best Director (Carol Reed). Ron Moody and Jack Wild were nominated for their immortal performances as Fagin and Dodger.

The 1984 Broadway revival was nominated for a single Tony: Best Actor in a Musical for Ron Moody, reprising his signature role of Fagin.

In 1994, the London revival was nominated for four Olivier Awards. In 1997, Robert Lindsay won Best Actor in a Musical for his Fagin (this was when replacements were eligible for nominations). The 2009 London revival was nominated for three Olivier Awards, and won three WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best Musical Revival.

Who stars in the London revival?

Simon Lipkin plays Fagin. Lipkin created the roles of Nicky/Trekkie in the original London cast of Avenue Q and his other starring roles include Rock of Ages, Assassins, Guys and Dolls, and Nativity! The Musical. He most recently starred as Buddy in Elf at the Dominion Theatre.

Shanay Holmes (Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical) plays Nancy, with Aaron Sidwell (Lord of the Rings) as Bill Sikes. Billy Jenkins reprises his role from TV’s Dodger to play the Artful Dodger.

Cian Eagle-Service (The Witches), Raphael Korniets (The Snowman), and Jack Philpott (Matilda) share the role of Oliver.

They are joined by Philip Franks (The Rocky Horror Show) as Mr Brownlow, Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Only Fools and Horses) as Mr Bumble, Katy Secombe (Les Miserables) as Widow Corney, Stephen Matthews (Strictly Ballroom) as Mr Sowerberry/Dr Grimwig, and Jamie Birkett (Peter Pan Goes Wrong) as Mrs Sowerberry/Mrs Bedwin.

Oliver! characters

Oliver Twist: The protagonist, an innocent orphaned waif who is thrown out of the workhouse and finds himself involved with a gang of pickpockets.
Fagin: A criminal “fence” and the mastermind behind the gang. An antisemitic stereotype in the original novel, the character is presented as much more of an eccentric rogue in the musical. Ron Moody described him as “Father Christmas gone wrong”.
Nancy: A rough but good-hearted young woman who becomes a maternal figure to Oliver and pays the price for it. A real tragic heroine.
Bill Sikes: A brutal criminal whom Nancy nevertheless loves unconditionally.
Artful Dodger: One of Fagin’s most talented pickpockets, a precocious and streetwise boy who introduces Oliver to the gang.
Mr Bumble: The cruel and pompous workhouse superintendent.
Widow Corney Bumble’s equally unpleasant colleague, whom he marries.
Mr Brownlow: The gentleman who rescues Oliver and turns out to be his grandfather.
Mr and Mrs Sowerberry: A pair of undertakers who purchase Oliver as a funeral mute.

Which songs are in Oliver!?

"Food, Glorious Food" – Workhouse Boys
"Oliver!" – Mr Bumble, Widow Corney, Boys and Governors
"I Shall Scream" – Mr Bumble and Widow Corney
"Boy for Sale" – Mr Bumble
"That's Your Funeral" – Mr Sowerberry, Mrs Sowerberry, and Mr Bumble
"Where Is Love?" – Oliver
"Consider Yourself" – The Artful Dodger, Oliver, and Chorus
"You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two" – Fagin and Fagin's Gang
"It's a Fine Life" – Nancy, Bet, and Fagin's Gang
"I'd Do Anything" – The Artful Dodger, Nancy, Oliver, Bet, Fagin, and Fagin's Gang
"Be Back Soon" – Fagin, The Artful Dodger, Oliver and Fagin's Gang
"Oom-Pah-Pah" – Nancy and Chorus
"My Name" – Bill Sikes
"As Long as He Needs Me" – Nancy
"Where Is Love?" (Reprise) – Mrs Bedwin
"Who Will Buy?" – Oliver, Vendors, and Chorus
"It's a Fine Life" (Reprise) – Bill Sikes, Nancy, Fagin, and The Artful Dodger
"Reviewing the Situation" – Fagin
"Oliver!" (Reprise) – Mr Bumble and Widow Corney
"As Long as He Needs Me" (Reprise) – Nancy
"Reviewing the Situation" (Reprise) – Fagin
Finale ("Food, Glorious Food", "Consider Yourself" and "I'd Do Anything") – Company

Fun facts about Oliver!

The 1968 film is the only British musical to have won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Matthew Bourne, who directs the new production, has a long history with the show, having choreographed the 1994 production and co-directed and choreographed the 2009 revival.
Notable former Olivers include Tom Fletcher, James Bourne, and Jon Lee. There are also plenty of famous former Dodgers, including Phil Collins, Davy Jones, and Rob Madge.
Dickens’s gripping stories and colourful characters are ripe for musical theatre treatment. Other examples of musicals based on his work include Pickwick, Scrooge, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and the recent London Tide at the National Theatre (based on Our Mutual Friend).

How do I book tickets for Oliver!?