Oliver! Review at Gielgud Theatre London

Charles Dickens’ famous orphan provides a quintessentially British experience in London’s West End, with Cameron Mackintosh’s joyous revival of Lionel Bart’s classic musical, Oliver!

Oliver’s journey from an orphanage workhouse to joining a gang of pickpockets in Victorian London has long been a beloved favourite, with hit songs including ‘Food, Glorious Food’, ‘Consider Yourself’ and ‘Where Is Love?’. 

With director and choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne OBE at the helm, the production creates vivid imagery throughout with all the physical storytelling and articulated choreography one would expect from the founder of New Adventures. And along with co-director Jean-Pierre van der Spuy,  the drama in Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre is tightly wound, so the plight of these well-known characters always feels immediate, dangerous and compelling.  

The production design by Lez Brotherston captures the aesthetic of Victorian London whilst adding all the flair of a big-budget musical. Moving sequences through the London streets are especially effective, with the use of a revolve and a powerfully atmospheric lighting design, which won Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs the 2025 Olivier Award. 

Simon Lipkin delivers an extraordinary starring performance as Fagin. It is almost a show within a show, as Lipkin creates a fascinating internal world for this rogue and draws us in to his innermost thoughts, all the while entertaining the acknowledged audience with one comedic turn after another. His show-stopping number, ‘Reviewing the Situation,’ earns each extra chorus or reprise as Lipkin builds the comedy equally with Fagin’s utter desperation to escape. It seems inevitable the audience will be wanting more and this production is ready to give it to them. 

The cast of children in Oliver are exceptional, and all fill the stage with boisterous energy, effortlessly shifting from vaudevillian performances to truly convincing us they live a life of petty crime. At this performance, Isaac Hackett gave a very natural performance in the title role, earnest and wistful. 

Aaron MacGregor is a delightful Artful Dodger, striking a nuanced balance between the effervescence so associated with Fagin’s lead pickpocket, and a much more empathetic rendering of the poor juvenile behind this façade.  

Ava Brennan underplays Nancy with the sense of someone who lives in a shadow, but then builds a powerful rendition of ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ which allows her to exploit the full colour of her vocal range and deliver the musical moment fans of the show will be waiting for.  

Aaron Sidwell is unsettling as Nancy’s boyfriend Bill Sikes, who rules the criminal underworld, and his performance provides a vital anchor for the comedy that otherwise abounds in this musical about Dickensian poverty and social class inequality. It’s that musical theatre comedy audiences love about the show, with special mention to Oscar Conlon-Morrey who is eminently watchable as Mr Bumble, milking the comedy in every syllable, gesture and expression, and to Stephen Matthews as both Mr Sowerberry and Dr Grimwig, who can incite laughter with the merest pause or intake of breath. 

The score sounds rich with an orchestra of only 12 players mostly doubling instruments to provide an impressive array of tonal colour for their size, with new orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe. Conducted by Graham Hurman, they are expressive, well balanced and musically top-notch.  

If you’re looking to see a big traditional musical, Oliver! is an infectiously fun night at the theatre with a heartwarming story and the best comedic performances in the West End. 

Where I Sat for Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

I sat in Stalls G19. The Gielgud Theatre is an older traditional theatre, but the seats were comfortable with reasonable legroom in the Stalls. Row G of the Stalls is premium seating, so the view was unobstructed, but I feel there would be decent viewing of this production from the majority of seats. Seats underneath the overhang of a balcony would lose the top portion of the stage, but this would not affect the overall performance. 

Have You Seen Oliver?

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Reviewed by Patrick Jeremy for SeatPlan, May 2026.