Oliver! | Curve Theatre, Leicester, 2015–2016
Lionel Bart’s beloved musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist served as Curve Theatre’s Christmas production for 2015/16, running from November 27, 2015 to January 23, 2016. Directed by Curve’s former Artistic Director Paul Kerryson with choreography by Andrew Wright and musical direction by Ben Atkinson, this production brought Dickens’s story of the orphan boy who escapes Victorian London’s workhouse to find both danger and salvation to Leicester audiences during the festive season.
The production starred Peter Polycarpou as Fagin, Cat Simmons and Laura Pitt-Pulford alternating as Nancy, and Oliver Boot as the brutal Bill Sikes. The show featured Bart’s iconic songs including “Food Glorious Food,” “You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two,” “Consider Yourself,” “Where Is Love?” and “As Long As He Needs Me,” creating the musical portrait of Victorian poverty, criminal underworlds, and unexpected kindness that has made Oliver! a perennial favorite.
Set Design Vision
takis’ set design (with Matt Kinley) creates the stark contrasts of Dickens’s Victorian London: the brutal austerity of the workhouse where Oliver famously asks for more; the claustrophobic warren of Fagin’s den where pickpockets gather; the bustling energy of London’s marketplace; the comfortable domesticity of Mr. Brownlow’s respectable home; and the dark, dangerous streets where Bill Sikes’s violence erupts.
The design must accommodate both intimate character moments—Oliver’s solo “Where Is Love?” sung in solitary confinement, Nancy’s tortured “As Long As He Needs Me”—and large ensemble numbers requiring extensive choreography like “Consider Yourself” and “Who Will Buy?” The production’s visual approach captures the gritty realism of Dickens’s social commentary while supporting the musical theatre spectacle that Bart’s score demands.
The Victorian setting requires period architectural elements: the institutional severity of workhouse architecture, the jumbled rooftops and narrow alleys of London’s criminal districts, the market square’s commercial bustle. The design uses verticality to suggest London’s layered social structure, with characters moving between different levels both literally and metaphorically as Oliver’s story unfolds.
Lighting and atmospheric effects create the story’s emotional landscape—the cold institutional light of the workhouse, the warm amber glow of Fagin’s den, the foggy menace of London streets at night, the bright optimism of daytime market scenes. The overall design creates a Victorian London that feels authentically Dickensian while remaining theatrically dynamic.
Creative Team
- Set Designer: takis (with Matt Kinley)
- Director: Paul Kerryson
- Choreographer: Andrew Wright
- Musical Director: Ben Atkinson
- Book, Music, and Lyrics: Lionel Bart
- Based on the novel: Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Production Context
Oliver! premiered in London’s West End in 1960 and became an immediate sensation, winning multiple awards and running for over 2,600 performances. The musical transferred to Broadway in 1963 and was adapted into the Academy Award-winning 1968 film directed by Carol Reed. Lionel Bart’s score simplified Dickens’s sprawling novel into a fast-paced musical that maintained the social criticism while adding theatrical optimism through memorable songs and dynamic ensemble numbers.
The musical has become a Christmas tradition at theaters across the UK, with its themes of poverty, injustice, and the search for belonging resonating particularly during the holiday season. The story’s combination of darkness and hope—Oliver’s suffering contrasted with moments of community and compassion—creates the emotional complexity that allows the show to work as both family entertainment and serious theatre.
Curve Theatre, opened in 2008, quickly established itself as one of Britain’s leading regional producing theatres, creating ambitious work that transfers to the West End and tours nationally. The theatre’s commitment to producing large-scale musicals like Oliver! demonstrates how regional venues serve as important sites for musical theatre production beyond London’s West End.
This production’s traditional approach—honoring Bart’s original vision while utilizing contemporary theatrical resources—allowed Leicester audiences to experience one of British musical theatre’s greatest achievements in a production that balanced Dickensian atmosphere with theatrical spectacle, social commentary with entertainment, and Victorian grimness with the ultimate triumph of goodness and community.