Plenty of Song, Less Shadow: Oliver! Returns to the Gielgud

Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre, London | Booking until 4th October 2026

Energetic revival left me wanting more – Matthew Bourne’s lively production delights with song and dance but loses a bit of Dickensian darkness (and even the dog).

It is the classic story of the boy who wanted more, brought to life by the iconic Lionel Bart musical that first debuted in London in 1961, quickly becoming a massive hit, though it has curiously never achieved the same success on Broadway.

Since then, it has been revived numerous times both in London and regionally, with the two most notable revivals being the Sam Mendes-directed production at the London Palladium in the nineties and a subsequent revival at Drury Lane. These productions were staged on a grand scale. The current version is closer to its original size and follows a run at Chichester last summer.

I thought it was about time I went to see it, as it has been running for some time, and I suspect it will continue for a while yet.

This iteration has been revised by Cameron Mackintosh (or perhaps interfered with or fiddled with), and I am afraid to say, not to the show’s benefit. There appear to be some structural changes; for instance, Bill Sykes has his number, My Name, which is not the strongest in the score, and now we hear it one and a half times. It appears in Act One, and just when you think, “Oh, well, that’s that out of the way,” it returns in Act Two.

Directed by Matthew Bourne, who previously provided choreography for the last two London revivals, the choreography in this production is brilliant: energetic, lively, and precise, everything you would expect from Bourne. However, I found the darkness lacking, as this is, after all, a dark story. I do not think it is a spoiler to mention that the murder of Nancy is rather glossed over, and Bill Sykes’ fall from the roof fails to resonate. Moreover, there is no Bullseye. We are left with just a sound effect. Come on, surely we can have a dog.

I must confess a close connection to the show, having played Fagin on several occasions and produced and directed it during my tenure as Artistic Director of Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells. When we staged it, we had a real Bullseye. It was a trouser role, as she was called Dot, but she was Bullseye. Bless her, she had to be led off stage because halfway through the run she decided that if Bill Sykes was singing, she would sing as well. So they had to take her off stage and keep her in the wings while he performed his number, before bringing her back to him. But we did have a real dog.

It should not be forgotten that Dickens was addressing the social issues of his time in his novels, which tends to be overlooked. At its core, the story tackles child exploitation, prostitution, theft, and brutal murder. Indeed, when Dickens used to read excerpts from Oliver Twist at public performances, people were known to faint at his description of Nancy’s death. The musical now has a reputation for being good, wholesome family entertainment, and much like Grease, people often do not examine it too closely.

It is always intriguing to observe how a show performs well into its run. As has been mentioned numerous times, and is worth repeating, understudies are the lifeblood of professional theatre. Although I was a bit disappointed not to see Simon Lipkin as Fagin, Oscar Conlon-Morrey stepped into the role. He normally plays Mr Bumble and brings an energetic, bright, and cheerful presence; however, they have softened Fagin, removing some of the darker elements. Nevertheless, he was wonderfully entertaining, as were all the others who had to step up that afternoon, including Adam Boardman as Mr Bumble and Wendy Somerville as Mrs Sowerberry.

Cameron Mackintosh’s adjustments, such as softening some violence and even omitting Bullseye the dog, do not enhance the show. It remains a crowd-pleaser with classic Lionel Bart tunes, not the best Oliver! I have seen, but if you have never experienced it, you are likely to have a great time.

A lively Oliver! revival that delivers energetic, precise choreography and all those classic songs, but it is missing a bit of its dark side.

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[Image Credits | oliverthemusical.com]

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