The pre-publicity for Cameron Mackintosh's latest revival of Lionel Bart's evergreen classic – this time both choreographed and co-directed by Matthew Bourne – spoke of a "revised" and "reimagined" version.
Fans of "Oliver!" may have been alarmed, but it turns out they had nothing to fear, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph: the "big Twist" is simply that the show, which transfers to London in December, has an "intimacy and a quality of simplicity in keeping with the 'poor theatre' aesthetic" of the original 1960 designs, and Bart's own theatrical roots. There has been no skimping on spectacle. It's just that the spectacle has been squished, with the action taking place across "tight levels of stage".
This "Oliver!" is "a visual delight", and shows some intriguing influences, said Matthew Hemley in The Stage. "The opening, all thunder and lightning outside the gothic gates of the workhouse, resembles a Tim Burton film", and there's "more than a whiff of Les Misérables" to the impressive revolving stage, flanked by bridges. "It all works beautifully", allowing for seamless changes between Fagin's den, with its drapes and coloured handkerchiefs, and the bustling streets and hidden alleyways of Dickensian London. The projections are "subtle and unintrusive", and "tremendous" lighting brings everything "vividly to life. It oozes atmosphere."
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The performances are top-notch, too, said Gareth Carr on What's On Stage – and "huge song and dance routines fill every square inch of stage space with rollicking fun and energy". Simon Lipkin is an "impressively vigorous" Fagin – "part Shylock and bigger part Captain Jack Sparrow". Shanay Holmes gives a "powerhouse performance" as Nancy.
With "pitch-perfect" singing, the show certainly does justice to Bart's "divine" score, said Arifa Akbar in The Guardian. I'd have liked to see a more radical reinvention of a story that revolves around child poverty and domestic violence; but still, this is "high-end", old-school entertainment. If that is what you're after, it will not disappoint.
Chichester Festival Theatre, until 7 Sep; Gielgud Theatre, London W1, from 14 Dec
