Oliver!

You asked for more… more CenterStage Geelong… and you’ve got it, in this colourful version of a classic musical.

Lionel Bart based his musical on either the novel, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, or David Lean’s 1948 film version of that book (no one is sure which). Either way, Oliver! tells the story of an orphan boy who flees indentured servitude to find his fortune.

In the opening scene, the childrens’ ensemble play the orphans in the workhouse. As they queue for their normal meal of gruel, they dream of better fare with the delightful, ‘Food, Glorious Food’.

This is my second CenterStage Geelong production and I’ve noticed some possible ‘traditions’.

First, the lascivious and eccentric older couple (here, Mr Bumble and Widow Corney, in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Baron and Baroness Bomburst, with both couples played by David Mackay and Michelle Marcu).

Second, Mitchell Walters playing a quirky key secondary character (here, Mr Sowerberry, in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Toymaker).

Eight-year-old Kempton Maloney (one of the two boys playing Oliver) made his debut in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in March. His growth as a performer from then until now shows his ability to listen to feedback and use it to become better.

Maloney came into his own with his solo, ‘Where is Love?’ He has a gentle, uplifting voice.

Despite his youth, Maloney has a wide range of talents and was a finalist in Australia’s Best Up & Coming Drummer competition in the ’12 Years & Under’ category.

Audiences will see Maloney on drums in CentreStage Geelong’s October production, Bending Broadway. Can’t wait? Watch Maloney drumming on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/KemptonMaloney.

Jack Birley as Artful Dodger is a master of his accent and is a consistently strong singer, with a pleasing voice that offers a lot of variety, especially in ‘Consider Yourself’.

As for the much-loved Fagin (Brad Beales), imagine Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow going creepy.

Then there’s Bill Sykes (Daim Hill), a magnificently menacing character. During his first appearance, he doesn’t speak building the foreboding. When his mouth opens and he unleashes his raspy voice in ‘My Name’, he’s truly terrifying.

Each of the three songs Nancy (Anna Flint) sings, ‘It’s a Fine Life’, ‘Oom-Pah-Pah’, and ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ are extraordinary performances, with each song stronger than the one before.

The musical took a brutal turn in the scene at London Bridge, which was also the best set, complete with fog. It looked exactly how I imagined a night-time London Bridge in the Nineteenth Century would look: dark, grimy, cold.

Likewise, Maxine Urquhart’s costumes enrich the show: from the colourful uniformity of the workhouse scene to the rich diversity of the street scenes.

CenterStage Geelong has served up a musical with all the right ingredients for a feast, glorious feast, that will delight audiences of all ages.

Daniel G. Taylor