Louise Clark and Stephen Finegold, directing Neil Bartlett's adaptation, looked to physical theatre and body language to project the story rather than the spoken word.
This made for a busy if rather gimmicky production in which choreography at t
imes took over, impeding emotional engagement with the action. However, against a dark set on which ingenious use was made of wooden trunks, the opening tableau effectively and thematically anticipated the casual violence and callous victimisation prevailing in London's polarised society. Bill Sikes's gruesome death was tellingly delineated.
Body language invariably proved more expressive of character than the spoken word.
Bill Sikes (Rowan Carter) was often inaudible but his brutal nature was never in doubt.
Voice projection was a weakness generally – many lines thrown away, spoken too quickly or indistinctly to be heard at the back.
If only everyone had delivered their lines with the clarity and intelligence of the smallest narrator.
Other exceptions were Joseph Cotten as Oliver and Daniel Hutchinson as Charley.
Patrick Costello had the measure of Fagin and there were confident performances from Joseph Finegold, Annie Faulds and Joe Ferguson.
Julia Anderson
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