OLIVER!
Presented by Little Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea
WED 4 - SAT 7 DEC 2019
Presented by Little Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Southend-on-Sea
WED 4 - SAT 7 DEC 2019
Let’s face it, 'Oliver!’ is one of the greats - a musical so firmly rooted into the heritage of London’s West End (and Broadway!) that for a local company to take on this production at this time of year is “a bit of a no brainer”. But with it comes a challenge to do it justice, and boy did Little Theatre Company do just that (for the second time this century I might add!)
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We’re brought immediately into the workhouse dining hall where Mr. Bumble (Julian Cottee) and his meddlesome self-importance effortlessly commands the stage - all despite teething issues with sound on this opening night. He played the role brilliantly and his booming voice was heard throughout the auditorium, with or without microphone. However it was the orphans that truly stole the opening numbers with harmonies and pure passion for the roles that did well to bring life to their grimy surroundings.
Whilst the sleazy relationship between the characters of Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney (Lianne Larthe) was at times dated and (dare I say it) slightly inappropriate, they did have the ability to bring a lot of laughter to the audience throughout the show. I felt there were some moments that needed tweaking for a noticeably young crowd. Mr. Sowerberry (Denis Foot) and Mrs. Sowerberry (Sally Lightfoot) continued the laughs with “That’s Your Funeral”, before Oliver himself (played by Jacob Browne) took centre stage for the first time this evening with “Where is Love?” He excelled during this number, and whilst it must have been challenging to maintain a high quality vocal performance throughout the show’s duration, it was this song that cemented his role for the rest of tonight’s performance. |
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One of two stars of this evening’s show came in the form of Gabriel Miller-Williams playing The Artful Dodger. He embodied the role and remained convincing with everything you’d want Dodger to be - utterly cheeky, loveable and cunning. And as we were introduced to the rest of his gang you could see they were living their best lives up there on stage.
Enter star number two - Fagin, (played fantastically by Tim Cater). He had the audience in the palm of his hand all night and you could see that he loved every second of it. Timing, vocals and characterisation were all on point. “Reviewing The Situation” was by far the standout performance of the entire show.
And, at this point, we’ve yet to even be introduced to Nancy (Sarah Pettican) and Bill Sykes (Chris Lidgard).
Enter star number two - Fagin, (played fantastically by Tim Cater). He had the audience in the palm of his hand all night and you could see that he loved every second of it. Timing, vocals and characterisation were all on point. “Reviewing The Situation” was by far the standout performance of the entire show.
And, at this point, we’ve yet to even be introduced to Nancy (Sarah Pettican) and Bill Sykes (Chris Lidgard).
Sarah’s vocals were so strong and convincing that it felt to me like she’d landed her dream role. The raucous “Oom-Pah-Pah” even had the audience clapping along with those on stage whilst “As Long As He Needs Me” showed just how dynamic her performance could be.
Chris would give Danny Dyer a run for this money, and whilst his character didn’t necessarily have the big numbers - he clearly played a convincing villain that was backed up sufficiently by boos from the audience at curtain call. Oh, and his trusty sidekick Bullseye (played by Ziggy Trixx) has to be the best-behaved dog I ever have seen on stage. Well done Ziggy!
A very special mention goes to those leading the charge during “Who Will Buy?” Victoria Lidgard, Charlotte Daly, Laura Wilson and Alex Kersley each brought harmonies that filled Southend’s Palace Theatre all the way up to those in the gods.
The set (brought to us by the consistently brilliant Scenic Projects) was morphed by cast and crew so effortlessly from one number to the next it was barely noticeable.
The choreography for such a large company (that included both children and adults) was scripted and executed by Paige Williamson with precision throughout.
Chris would give Danny Dyer a run for this money, and whilst his character didn’t necessarily have the big numbers - he clearly played a convincing villain that was backed up sufficiently by boos from the audience at curtain call. Oh, and his trusty sidekick Bullseye (played by Ziggy Trixx) has to be the best-behaved dog I ever have seen on stage. Well done Ziggy!
A very special mention goes to those leading the charge during “Who Will Buy?” Victoria Lidgard, Charlotte Daly, Laura Wilson and Alex Kersley each brought harmonies that filled Southend’s Palace Theatre all the way up to those in the gods.
The set (brought to us by the consistently brilliant Scenic Projects) was morphed by cast and crew so effortlessly from one number to the next it was barely noticeable.
The choreography for such a large company (that included both children and adults) was scripted and executed by Paige Williamson with precision throughout.
Director Bradley Green and a large list of credited individuals have managed to put on a real treat before Christmas, and they deserve a lot of praise for what they’ll achieve this week. To practically sell out Southend’s Palace Theatre for every performance is no easy task no matter what the choice of musical. The vision that he and the team have managed to instill into the rest of the company for the show itself and for Front of House is mind-blowing. And all this whilst keeping highly secretive throughout the shows build up across social media and every other form of promotion. It really is quite remarkable and something that’s worth reflecting on for the future of amateur dramatics in the local area.
‘Tis the season so swap your movie repeat over on terrestrial TV for the actual thing. A small amount of tickets are still available but you’ll need to be quicker than The Artful Dodger himself to snap them up!
Review: Sam Holland
Visit https://southendtheatres.org.uk/Online/tickets-oliver-ltc-southend-2019 to check availability.
‘Tis the season so swap your movie repeat over on terrestrial TV for the actual thing. A small amount of tickets are still available but you’ll need to be quicker than The Artful Dodger himself to snap them up!
Review: Sam Holland
Visit https://southendtheatres.org.uk/Online/tickets-oliver-ltc-southend-2019 to check availability.
All photos to be credited to Tim Copsey
This award-winning Cameron MacIntosh revival of the theatrical masterpiece ‘OLIVER!’ brings Charles Dickens’ beloved novel ‘Oliver Twist’ vividly to life!
This family musical takes audiences on a wild adventure through Victorian England.
Travel with young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and - most importantly - for love.
With music and lyrics by the Tony-Award-winning Lionel Bart, ‘Oliver!’ features spirited, timeless favourites like ‘Food, Glorious Food’, ‘Consider Yourself’, ‘Who Will Buy?’, ‘You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two’, ‘As Long As He Needs Me’, ‘Where Is Love’ and the titular ‘Oliver!’.
Little Theatre Company is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2019, and with a reputation for bold staging and award-winning performances it’s no wonder many alumni have gone on to forge successful careers in theatre and entertainment, including company president Gemma Craven, actor and presenter Lee Mead, Mark Cotgrove aka jazz musician Snowboy, and Hana Stewart who is currently starring in West End musical ‘Six’.
Little Theatre Company is fundraising in partnership with Equal People Performing Arts (EPPA); a fully inclusive performing arts centre with an ethos to provide a safe and dignified space where disabled and non-disabled children and adults can work together in all aspects of the performing arts.
‘OLIVER!’ runs at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff from Wednesday 4th December 2019 to Saturday 7th December 2019. Tickets are £19 - £21 (evenings) and £16 - £18 (matinee).
Performance times are at 7.30pm on Weds/Fri/Sat, 12pm and 5pm on Thursday, plus a 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday.
Tickets are available now from the Southend Theatres Box Office: 01702 351135 or online at www.southendtheatres.org.uk.
Groups of 10+ can call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
This family musical takes audiences on a wild adventure through Victorian England.
Travel with young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and - most importantly - for love.
With music and lyrics by the Tony-Award-winning Lionel Bart, ‘Oliver!’ features spirited, timeless favourites like ‘Food, Glorious Food’, ‘Consider Yourself’, ‘Who Will Buy?’, ‘You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two’, ‘As Long As He Needs Me’, ‘Where Is Love’ and the titular ‘Oliver!’.
Little Theatre Company is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2019, and with a reputation for bold staging and award-winning performances it’s no wonder many alumni have gone on to forge successful careers in theatre and entertainment, including company president Gemma Craven, actor and presenter Lee Mead, Mark Cotgrove aka jazz musician Snowboy, and Hana Stewart who is currently starring in West End musical ‘Six’.
Little Theatre Company is fundraising in partnership with Equal People Performing Arts (EPPA); a fully inclusive performing arts centre with an ethos to provide a safe and dignified space where disabled and non-disabled children and adults can work together in all aspects of the performing arts.
‘OLIVER!’ runs at the Palace Theatre in Westcliff from Wednesday 4th December 2019 to Saturday 7th December 2019. Tickets are £19 - £21 (evenings) and £16 - £18 (matinee).
Performance times are at 7.30pm on Weds/Fri/Sat, 12pm and 5pm on Thursday, plus a 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday.
Tickets are available now from the Southend Theatres Box Office: 01702 351135 or online at www.southendtheatres.org.uk.
Groups of 10+ can call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
