Oliver! the musical has had many outings since its inception in the 1960s, and the most recent is a West End Revival that burst onto the scene last year. I saw a performance on one of the variety shows and immediately bought tickets to see it. Taking up residence at the Gielgud theatre, the show is currently booking through to March 2026 and is so far having a very successful run.

It’s a very faithful adaptation, featuring a couple of the songs that are in the musical but not in the famous film adaptation, and featuring the subplots with Mr Bumble and the undertakers in more detail. It’s a burst of energy with exceptionally talented kids and the songs are, obviously, brilliant and catchy and sweep you right into the heart of Victorian London.

On the one hand, it’s faithfulness makes it a real comfort to watch, on the other hand it feels a little bit safe - the Artful Dodger was entirely forgettable, where he could have been a star character.

The star of the show is reserved for Simon Lipkin as Fagin though. It could be a difficult portrayal, this Jewish caricature who leads a band of children as thieves and pickpockets. But it’s done with grace and heart and humour, perfectly pitched humour, breaking the fourth wall on occasion (although in clearly rehearsed fashion), and bringing the audience into the story rather than just playing it straight. It’s a completely wonderful and career-defining performance from a guy that I previously only knew from the Nativity movies.

There’s a cast recording been released relatively recently and I’ve already played it through many times, which is a sign of a good show. I know the songs inside out and back to front already, so the only thing the cast recording does is bring back memories and visuals of the show as it was - as I would like to remember it. There are no gimmicks in here, like singing off a balcony but it doesn’t need it, everything else steps up and delivers.

Consider yourself one of the family!