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Review: Oliver!

York Stage Musicals, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday

9:23am Thursday 10th September 2009

By Charles Hutchinson »

WHEN Robert Readman’s huge cast for Oliver! sings “Consider yourself one of the family”, the sentiment could not be more true.

One hundred performers are taking part in this week’s production, and such a weight of numbers makes for mightily impressive ensemble pieces.

The opening Food Glorious Food is sung by rank upon rank of workhouse boys, all well drilled by choreographer Jessica Hardcastle (who also appears as Mrs Sowerberry).

Readman, as he often does, has combined directorial and design duties, and he cannily uses a multi-levelled set that facilitates plenty of floor room for such a big ensemble and ease of scenery changes.

Not for the first time, he favours two stairwells with a bridge in between, but here the scale is bigger, and the dark crevices from which Bill Sikes emerges are all the more threatening. Readman also uses the space beneath the stairs particularly well for the boys’ crammed living conditions in Fagin’s den.

Readman has a fantastic track record for good casting, and his young leads are a delight. Two Olivers and two Artful Dodgers are sharing the roles; on Tuesday it was Rhys Evans, inquisitive and adventurous in his first major role as Oliver Twist, and Josh Benson, quite the cheekiest Cockney pickpocket you could imagine.

The professionally trained James Fackrell will be familiar to many on the York theatre scene and his slippery Fagin must be his best turn yet. His hunched movement, nasal voice and eye for humour may be in the style of Ron Moody’s definitive Fagin, but he also bolsters the pathos and sings with great expression.

Emily Ramsden, 16, was talent-spotted by Readman for Hairspray earlier this summer and now delivers a knockout singing performance as Nancy, particularly for As Long As He Needs Me. Her acting skills are catching up fast, too.

David Jarman, by day an actor at York Dungeon, is making the role of Bill Sikes his own by night. Readman saw him playing Bill for the Easingwold Players and duly head-hunted him for York, and he is truly terrifying, his voice as deep as Tom Waits with laryngitis, and even his breathing rattles like a snake.

Experienced hands Juliet Waters and John Hall revel in the comic sauciness of Widow Corney and Mr Bumble and Steve Tearle is an upstanding Mr Brownslow.

Throughout, the full flavours flood out of Lionel Bart’s music in the playing of Michael Thompson’s 16-piece orchestra to complete a show that leaves you, like young Oliver, wanting more.

Oliver!, York Stage Musicals, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday. Box office: 0844 847 2322.

10-09-2009 by Dan