The Sunday Times Mirror - They lighten up the chartered streets

Just before the cast of Oliver! put on their costumes and step on stage, Smriti Daniel has a final peek while M. A. Pushpa Kumara snaps a few scenes we all know and love

I wince in sympathy, I laugh out loud, I lean forward in my seat, I try to swallow past the knot in my throat and restrain the urge to clap till my hands tingle. I remind myself that this is all just one elaborate (albeit well-produced) show. That’s all it is, I tell myself, even as I am almost moved to tears.

I’m watching The Workshop Players’ production Oliver! And in more ways than one, this seems to me a resurrection of sorts. Not only has it been six years since we last saw a production by this company (Lion King), but the musical they have chosen to perform is in some ways edging in on the endangered list. Don’t get me wrong – Dickens’ Oliver Twist is still very much in print, and the recent film Oliver made quite a splash. But for some reason the familiar plot – the martyred, long-suffering child, the heinous villains, the good Samaritans – had lost its ability to move me.

Until now that is. Director Jerome L. De Silva re-introduces us to life in the London underworld, where the men are often cruel and violent, the women hardened and desperate, and children cannot stay children for long. In the middle of this is Oliver – a sweet-voiced, naïve innocent boy – whose main contribution to the story is to play a victim while an outstanding cast of heroes and villains struggle to determine his and their own fates. The struggle is made all the more profound by the squalor which surrounds it... always there looms that inevitable tragedy and yet Oliver! also offers hope – tentative and fragile – that life will go on better than before.

The likes of Fagin (Manoj Singanayagam), Bill Sykes (Mario De Soyza) and Nancy (Shanuki De Alwis), own this stage. They dominate it and lift this musical out of the realms of the ordinary. Sykes, intensely violent, inspiring terror in everyone he meets, Fagin, sly and humorous, and a Nancy who is as tough as she is charming, complete an ensemble that are true to the spirit of Dickens’ original classic.

Others such as Widow Corney (Samantha D.S Wijeratne), Mr. Bumble (Shiyan Jayaweera) and Mr. and Mrs. Soweberry (Ashan Dias and Jovanka Perera) are played with talent and insight by members of the Workshop Players, while a boisterous crew of nearly 50 kids slip from role to role with ease. The entire company do justice to what is undoubtedly a fabulous soundtrack. The lead characters all boast strong, emotive voices – crucial to such an undertaking.

This normally dark tale is enlivened by Lionel Bart’s original soundtrack. It has all the appeal of a big, splashy musical and yet allows each character a certain amount of intimacy with the audience. Infectious, easy harmonies inspire empathy, wringing smiles and tears by turns from anyone watching. Case in point being Oliver’s plaintive plea “Where Is Love?” and Nancy’s heart wrenching “As Long As He Needs Me.” On the opposite side of the spectrum, joyful, mischievous songs such as “Consider Yourself” and “Food, Glorious Food,” are more than enough to set feet tapping. (In particular, the latter makes for a great spectacle, featuring large numbers of dancing, twirling singers, all choreographed to make the most of an unusual stage design.)

Remarkably, all this joy amid the squalor and despair do not come across as out of place. Instead the musical simply flows from one to the other and back again. As the lines between emotions blur, so do one’s ideas of good and bad. Many a character, cast determinedly into either one category rises above it to be simply human – flawed undoubtedly – but lovable nevertheless. As Dickens intended, the audience is not allowed to ignore the hypocrisy of a society where those responsible for children mistreat and abuse their charges, while criminals risk life and limb to do right by a child.

In the end, Oliver! doesn’t offer an entirely happy ending. As in life – happiness and sadness must co-exist. What it does offer, however, is great music, almost panoramic choreography and inspired acting – altogether a not to be missed experience.

Consider yourself invited to what promises to be one of the year’s best musicals...

[Note: Oliver! features an extensive cast, with multiple actors playing different roles on different nights. The names mentioned above are simply those I had the pleasure of viewing on one occasion.]

Oliver! Presented by The Workshop Players will be performed at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from October 13 – 22. Tickets are available at the Lionel Wendt. Cargills Food city are the main sponsors of the event, while Dialogue GSM comes in as a co-sponsor.