This is the story of the career of Lionel Bart, telling of breathtaking success and wealth, followed by a fall to the lower depths, and a long, slow crawl back to life. Towards the end of the 1950s, Bart's "Oliver!" brought audiences back to the West End theatre. But within ten years the creator of songs such as "As Long as He Needs Me" and "Livin' Doll" was a bankrupt - financially and morally. Broken by drink and drugs, deserted by his "friends", he spent another decade in limbo, and remains there still.
an age old story of leaches and hangers on and barts egotistical,I can do anything attitude.saying that he gave us one of the best musicals Britain has produced,and one of the worst twang.a reasonable read.