ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

A Fine Life’ and ‘Be Back Soon’ for me were the stand-out moments of choreography in this show, with the adults and the children creating some fantastic stage pictures and working together thoroughly as a company. Claire Sweeney’s confident musical direction of the ten-piece orchestra kept the piece moving at a good pace. I did speak to her afterwards about which orchestrations were used, as there were some musical phrasings I was familiar with which were missing in the music tonight but, ever the expert (and one I’ve had the pleasure of working with many times previously), she gave me the answers I was looking for with my ‘reviewer hat’ on. She had clearly worked hard with the vocal harmonies of the show and each sung line was clear in the bigger numbers – and even in the smaller harmonised pieces of ‘Who Will Buy’ and the ‘It’s A Fine Life (reprise).’ Eleven-year-old Ross Provart certainly won the

affections of the audience as his portrayal of the waif ‘Oliver.’ His performance grew throughout the show, from the timid workhouse boy asking for “more” throughout considering himself to be one of Fagin’s gang, to finding a new family – his performance was confident and his version of ‘Where Is Love?’ absolutely heart-rendering. Stewart Bowden gave a completely polished

performance as the lovable rogue, Fagin. Often this character can slip uncomfortably into the realms of Pantomime villain and Stewart stayed well and truly away from that. Light on his feet, reminiscent of Ron Moody’s unforgettable portrayal, Stewart hit just the right level of wickedness and comic charm to convince the audience that Fagin, (well, at least Lionel Bart’s Fagin, not Dickens’ original!) was really nothing more than a loveable rogue gone wrong. Working confidently alongside him was Isaac Fletcher-Shaw as everyone’s favourite cheeky-chappy, Jack Dawkins – better known to his more intimate acquaintances as the Artful Dodger. Isaac’s leading of ‘Consider Yourself ’ was confident and his work heading up the 17 other