Oliver! by Lionel Bart. Alpha Theatre directed by Cathie Clelland. Choreographer: Belynda Buck. Musical Director: Pam Connor. ANU Arts Centre January 18 - 27, 7pm.
Probably I was the only person at opening night over the age of 10 who had never seen Oliver!, though I knew all the songs out of context. In context, some seemed a bit odd, and I faced the question about how turning Dickens into a musical makes his stories of social class division even more sentimental than his original novels. Like Dickens, Bart knew he had to keep up the entertainment level, so it was hard to feel the depth of anger we should at Nancy's murder.
However, Clelland's direction achieved perhaps as much as the script allows. Her casting was excellent, especially of Jordan Prosser as Oliver, Linda Francis as Nancy, Tony Falla as Fagin and, in a small but effective role, Anna Wise as Mrs Bedwin. Musicality in their singing and clarity in their acting stood out in these performers, but there was also great strength in chorus and smaller singing roles, coming together particularly well in "Who Will Buy?"
Obviously an important feature of a musical is the quality of the orchestra which Pam Connor directed with energy and strong rhythmic effect, carrying the action along on stage. All sections of the orchestra sounded good, except for some lack of tuning in the strings. However, John Ma's solo violin for Fagin's reconsidering of his situation was spot on.
Good music without movement would still make a fatally flawed show, and Belynda Buck missed no opportunities to choreograph every head and arm gesture, with lots of group and individual dance steps which, though they looked to me more colonial than mid-nineteenth century London, kept my attention throughout. Especially impressive was how the younger children enjoyed their movement, every one thoroughly engaged in the performance. In Brian Sudding and Cherylynn Holmes' excellent set, and wearing Rosemary Synnott's thoroughly colourful costumes, all the set-piece numbers received justified applause.
An effective Alpha production, the show gained strength in the second half. Everyone clapped along with the curtain call reprises - but I still kept wondering why Nancy had ever loved Bill Sykes.
© Frank McKone, Canberra
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