Small Pleasures, Small Pleasures -- Guest Review by Doctor Terror
Oliver (Gielgud Theatre)
Having thoroughly enjoyed the Cockney Museum, what next but to go off to see the ultimate Cockney musical. But at the last minute, I changed my mind about Les Mis at the Sondheim and saw this next door at the Gielgud instead (same producer, same turntable).
The parody from Forbidden Broadway at the Menier Chocolate Factory returned to me:
Considered to see a show
But staying at home sufficed
Because once I saw the cost, my bank account said 'Whoa!'
Considerably overpriced
Well, yes. But, by West End standards now, not unusual. Moulin Rouge, Stranger Things, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and the others all cost as much. Hell, the ticket for the execrable I'm Sorry, Prime Minister needed a mortgage. Beyond that, though, no complaints: the production was a delight - affecting without being sentimental, filthy without losing its 'family audience' and featuring an ensemble cast who did the material proud, with brio and clear diction.
Ava Brennan as Nancy belted out As Long As He Needs Me defiantly, the perfect flawed justification of someone trapped in a violent relationship. Aaron MacGregor was the perfect Dodger, the kind of person who, though very obviously a wrong 'un, you'd still want as a friend. At my performance, Thomas Newman played Oliver, a very hard part to pull off but he did so brilliantly, being vulnerable without any cloying saccharine.
And Fagin? This is where we move into potential controversy. I...er...have always been unequivocal in my admiration for...er...Jonathan Miller. And Miriam Margolyes too. And...er...Stephen Sondheim, Adam Kay, Mandy Patinkin, John Landis and Eric Idle...not to mention my all-time showbiz god, Mel Brooks. I think you can spot a common theme here. Yes: they all have a sense of humour. So did Lionel Bart, author of the music, book and lyrics and so does Simon Lipkin as Fagin. Oh, and he's Jewish as well.
Do you need to be Jewish to play Fagin? Personally, I don't think so: I've seen Rowan Atkinson and Ron Moody (the latter in his one-man show) do it superbly. Those who disagree with me would no doubt argue that Jake and Heath shouldn't have played the leads in Brokeback Mountain because they weren't gay, Tom shouldn't have got the Forrest Gump gig because he has no obvious learning disability and Christopher Biggins shouldn't be allowed to play Dame Trott because he isn't a woman.
That said, Lipkin is a tour de force. He is a younger Fagin (less likely to be perceived as a nonce), certainly not the one of George Cruikshanks' famous illustration, but none the worse for it. In fact, he is magnificent: truly, truly funny, with endless asides breaking the fourth wall, strangled expletives and some great improvisation. He should be performing in the Catskills. Scratch that: he should have his own show in Vegas.
And he's very, VERY Jewish. To argue that the very character of Fagin is antisemitic is like saying that Del Boy Trotter is indicative of the author's hatred of the C of E. Bart loved Fagin OBVIOUSLY - that's why he had the coda with Dodger. Dickens had him finish with his neck in a noose, while in the film they danced off together. Here we get a moving and realistic compromise: the two, broken by what has happened, hug before walking slowly into the sunrise and an uncertain future.
This show is a total joy. I'm so glad that Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne chose to bring pleasure to all of us rather than worrying whether Maureen Lipman was going to have another strop.