Oliver Twist, Sarisbury Theatre Co. & Sarisbury Youth Theatre Co., Sarisbury Community Centre
DICKENS'S character-laden books seem tailored for staging, but his episodic style rarely works. This version, halfway between Oliver! and straight adaptation, doesn't know where to finish.
The multitude of scenes inhibits the flow: the shortest ones could have been integrated into others so the stage isn't darkened so often. The unchanging set is impressive for city scenes, but lets down the rural settings, which aren't as convincing.
Most leads cope fairly well - newcomer Emalea Snow is a brave Oliver. Emma Giles' solo, in a minor sung part, is head and shoulders above the rest and her acting's good - one to watch. Overall, the two companies make a fair fist of it, the song / dance numbers proving that they could have grasped the nettle and staged the musical.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article