28-01-25 and Oliver

Good afternoon, everyone.  Apologies for this being late.  I slept really wall but, given I didn't get to bed until nearly midnight, sleeping well meant there was a bit of a rush to get out to Groove and I've just remembered I didn't post when I got home again.

Yesterday was such an enjoyable day.  It started with circuits and, while the back twinged from time to time, it stopped straight away afterwards which says to me that it now needs just a bit of challenge.  Other bits of me ached, mind you, but that's due to getting back to proper workouts!

We did have some very heavy rain a strong gusts of wind a couple of times but it was all over by the time I needed to leave to catch the coach and that really was all we had.

The drive in was trouble free with just the usual hold ups at busy junctions, so we got dropped off with pretty much an hour and a half to spare.  I grouped up with the lady sitting next to me and a couple of others and we went into a Starbucks for a coffee/tea. Not something I ever do normally and I was shocked at how much quite an ordinary Americano costs but that's life nowadays!

On to Oliver.  The Gielgud Theatre is lovely - very compact and cosy and the seats weren't too uncomfortable with more leg room than I was expecting.  We had great seats - about half way back in the stalls and a great view.  Quite close to the exit door too which was useful at the end.

This Cameron Mackintosh version is the one that was a huge success at Chichester but needed to be adapted to a much smaller space so there was very clever use of a revolving platform and scenery that swung round, up, down and the lower of the side boxes was incorporated into the staging - really clever and a great way to portray chases and keep the action moving on in what really is a very small stage, as you can see.

Apologies for the darkness - that's how it was - moody and quite claustrophobic in a way.  The programme notes say: 'The intimate nature of the historic Gielgud Theatre naturally enhances the atmospheric claustrophobia of Dickensian London . . .

As far as I can tell, some of the cast was the same and some were different.  Oliver - all the children, in fact - were played by several different children.  The Oliver we got was brilliant.  Not sweet and soppy as in the film but sweet and gutsy, not letting them trample over him but giving almost as good as he got.  'Where is Love' was so powerful with real passion in the delivery - remarkable, really.

The Artful Dodger was a hoot - loads of laughs and bags of character.
Actually, everyone was good, I didn't clock any weak performances.  Ever Bet, played as an abused child as she would have been, had her own charisma.

(Photo from Google Images)
I could go on but suffice it to say that Fagin (Simon Lipkin) was just - oh, words fail me.  He gave us a funny, obviously criminal, performance but with a soft spot for his boys that showed in so many ways.  He had us in fits all through.

I can't pick out one weak song - there weren't any.  It's easier to pick out the weakest - and  that's only comparative, it wasn't really weak - which, I think, was 'Who Will Buy' but part of that was because it related to a more comfortable and settled part of Oliver's story so there wasn't the tension, maybe, of the other songs.
I think in terms of sheer power and impact, I would choose 'As long as He Needs Me'.  I was in tears by the end.

If you get the opportunity, go and see it.  I am sure it will run and run and run, just like Les Mis in the theatre next door.  I'd go again like shot, it was absolutely stunning all through and the time passed in a flash.

Just to finish off, the journey home was easy too - no hold ups and I was in my house by around 11:45-ish.

Back to normal now - I don't think I have any coach trips for a couple of months but I do have Potters to look forward to in March.   That will be good.  xx