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Oliver Twist Play Analysis

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Bringing Charles Dickens’ beloved novel to life, Lionel Bart’s musical, named Oliver, takes audiences on a wild adventure through Victorian England. The audience joins the young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates the London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and - most importantly - for love. When Oliver is picked up on the street by a boy named the Artful Dodger, he is welcomed into a gang of child pickpockets led by the immoral (but charismatic) Fagin. When Oliver is falsely accused of a theft he didn’t commit, he is rescued by a kind and wealthy gentleman, to the dismay of Fagin’s violent sidekick, Bill Sykes. Caught in the middle of the drama is the warm-hearted Nancy, who is trapped under Bill Skykes’ …show more content…

As Mr Bumble and Widow Corney teach the boys to be thankful to God, young Oliver Twist is dared to ask for more food. Bumble is shocked by the request (“Oliver”) and decides that the boy is trouble and needs to leave the workhouse, selling him to an undertaker, “Boy For Sale”, not before suggesting his amorous advances to Widow Corney, “I Shall Scream”. At the undertakers parlour he is warned against behaving badly as Mr Sowerberry tells him “That’s Your Funeral”. Alone, Oliver wishes for a happier life and sings “Where is Love?”. He decides to run away to London, and dashes off in the middle of the …show more content…

Dodger introduces him to his way of life and says ‘Consider Yourself’ one of the gang. He leads him back to see Fagin, the crook who runs the thieves’ kitchen. In Fagin’s den, Oliver is surprised at the number of boys working for him. They teach him that “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two” in order to survive. Whilst Fagin looks after the boys, they are all under the watchful eye of sinister robber Bill Sykes, whose girlfriend Nancy is sympathetic to the gang. Nancy tells Oliver that “It’s a Fine Life” if he is happy to have nothing. The boys are playful towards Nancy and her friend Bet, telling them that “I’d Do Anything”. Fagin has enough of their games and send them out to the streets to pick pocket, getting them to bring back whatever they can find, but “Be Back Soon”. Whilst on the rob Oliver gets into trouble when he makes a failed attempt at trying to take Mr Brownlow’s wallet. He tries to escape but is captured by the

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