Oliver!

A Tale of Two Dodgerettes

The musical Oliver! launched the acting career of my elder daughter, Mei, back in 2008, when she was a sprightly eleven and full of mischief—perfect qualifications, as it turned out, for playing the Artful Dodger. It was a dazzling local production staged, quite grandly, the People’s Liberation Army Opera House in Beijing. Yes, you read that right—Dickens via West End, channeled through a socialist opera house. One might call it a cultural mash-up of revolutionary proportions.
I sat in the front row on opening night, tears hot in my eyes—not because of Oliver’s plight, mind you (bless his little cockney soul), but because Mei simply stole the show. The moment she stepped on stage, it came alive.
Fast-forward to last night: my younger daughter, Kirsty, ever the organizer, rallied us to see the Matthew Bourne–co-directed revival of Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre. Let me tell you, it was glorious. Critics have dubbed it “musical theatre at its best,” and for once, I agreed. There was inventive staging, including a rotating set that would have impressed even the most jaded theatre-goer, an audience-hugging thrust stage, and choreography during “Consider Yourself” that could only be described as riotously joyful.
Naturally, both girls know every lyric by heart (Kirsty played a street urchin—a non-speaking role, though apparently not a non-politicking one). As “Consider Yourself” rolled out, they sang at full volume, swaying in their seats. I, forgetting most of the lyrics, did my best to hum supportively.
What fun we had. As is always the case when I’m with my daughters, there was laughter in abundance. Over a pre-show dim sum dinner, the girls regaled me with tales from their early stage days—particularly the Machiavellian maneuverings of stage parents, who lobbied aggressively for their children to be upgraded from “urchin number six” to “urchin with hat.” Ah yes, even among the ragamuffins, there was a hierarchy—and backroom politics to match.
Oliver! is on now at the Gielgud, and if you get the chance, do go see it. Whether you’re a theatre aficionado or just someone with a soft spot for singing pickpockets, it’s a rollicking good time.