Oliver!/Chichester Festival Theatre

Oliver! is an unusual basis for a musical as the story of Oliver Twist is heart-rendingly sad and grim till the ending.

So much so that one friend of mine, though a lover of musicals, cannot bear to see it. The early scene in the workhouse and funeral parlour are so depressingly sad and young orphan Oliver only finds a home in Fagin’s den of picket pockets. So what saves the musical that ran to 2,500 performances in the West End and on Broadway and then became a classic film?

Firstly, it has a terrific score including As Long As He Needs Me, Oompah, A Boy For Sale and You Gotta Pick A Pocket or Two.

Secondly, it is full of lively characters from the Beadle – originally played by Harry Secombe – whose daughter Katy appears in this show as Widow Corney – and Sowerby the undertaker.

This cast could not match Ron Moody as Fagin nor Oliver Reed as the pyscho Bill Sykes.

However Shaney Holmes was terrific as Nancy, who provides protection for Oliver which leads to her death.

Three Olivers were designated on the cast list but, on investigation, the one I saw was well played by Jack Philpott.

Incidentally my late father was once on a plane to Miami when he was warmly greeted by actor Mark Lester, a former patient at his NHS clinic at Woodberry Down Stoke Newington.

My father did not at first recognise him and was no collector of ‘faces’.

He thought actors and musicians were bad payers. Mark Lester is now an osteopath.

Lionel Bart composed the songs and not only wrote hits for Tommy Steele and Anthony Newley but also Cliff Richard’s Living Doll.

He composed From Russia with Love but his talents were creative, rather than  financial, as he made the fatal mistake of backing his musical Twang! which flopped after just 43 performances.

Cameron Mackintosh revived Oliver! and – although under no obligation as Bart had long since sold the rights – did make him an ex gratia payment.

Finally a word about the theatre experience.

Although Chichester has a dementia performance I could not see much concern for the elderly theatregoers. I struggled to download my ticket from my mobile, having been refused the possibility of collection at the Box Office, and saw others of the superannuated generation in difficulty whilst mounting the stairs.

£5 is a lot for a programme that contains no photos of the cast alongside the pen portraits Still, there was not an empty seat and they have yet another musical success.