ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

OLIVER! By Lionel Bart

Directed by Samantha Griffiths Musical Director - Paul Firth Choreography - Katherine Farrow and Jane Wood Mossley A.O. & D.S. From the original Dickens’ story of the orphan boy, Oliver Twist, Lionel Bart created a wonderful musical classic which has delighted audiences since the 60s - and its popularity shows no sign of abating.

MADOS presented a wonderful spin on the classic tale, with this simply charming production at the George Lawton Hall, Mossley. Samantha Griffiths, making her directorial debut with MAODS, used her enormous cast to full advantage, really taking the time to dissect each moment within the production to create seamless scene changes by using all levels of the staging area to direct focus away from onstage changes. I, for one, have never seen “Oliver!” performed in a thrust and this made me feel as if I were sitting in the middle of the action. (I certainly kept my purse closer to hand - just to be on the safe side!) She had marvellous support from a stellar Musical Director, Paul Firth and choreographers, Katherine Farrow and Jane Wood, not to mention a strong cast of principals who brought the story to life!

Within any production of “Oliver!” you are more than likely to see many children on the stage, and I certainly did see every single child. Together Katherine and Jane gave every single child a chance to shine. Not only our leading men, Oliver and Dodger, but every single member of Fagin’s gang had their moment in the spotlight. The large cast was comprised of faces old