Published as a serial between 1836 and 1839, Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist has undergone a myriad of adaptations, and Deborah McAndrew’s dramatic and highly theatrical take on this age-old classic is currently wowing audiences at Hull Truck Theatre.
The venue was packed on Tuesday night with all ages of theatregoers eagerly awaiting curtain up at 7pm.
Of course, regular Truckers will know there never is a curtain to actually rise; every nook and cranny of the stage for whatever production is always totally on show giving one a chance to have a pre-production nosy.
At first glance, the stage for this show looked quite empty. However, towards the rear there rose huge arched windows and spaced columns, with an elevated walkway reached by a hefty spiral staircase.
The atmospheres were simply, yet effectively, created by mist emanating from vents on the stage and lighting shining through the windows.
It was a lively start to proceedings when, a few minutes after 7pm, a group of performers entertained us with Christmas carols. Dressed in Victorian costumes – long swirling dresses for the women, breeches, waistcoats and long outer coats and hats for the men, their tuneful and lively singing soon got us into a festive mood.
Watching from above is a heavily pregnant young woman, who descends upon the staircase, eventually giving birth to a baby boy – her dying action was to hand over her engraved locket to the stranger who had helped her in her distress.
I’m not spoiling anything by saying she pops her clogs, as it’s no secret that Oliver is an orphan.
Raised in the poor workhouse, Oliver escapes to London, after being apprenticed to a skinflint coffin maker, Mr Sowerberry (William Relton), whose cat-carrying, larger-than-life wife Mrs Sowerberry (Alison Fitzjohn) is a tour-de-force. In the capital he is befriended by the worldly-wise Artful Dodger, a pickpocket working in a band of thieves run by Fagin (Lisa Howard).
McAndrew’s adaptation doesn’t dwell on Oliver’s life in the workhouse or even on his pickpocket shenanigans. Instead we witness the lad’s birth, his beatings, kidnapping and eventual salvation; and as young as he is, he always shows guts to stand up to his oppressors – who can forget the famous line “Please sir, I want some more” as he held out his empty gruel bowl to the workhouse beagle, Mr Bumble (Andrew Whitehead).
Mr Bumble’s disbelieving reply is equally memorable as he roars “MORE?”.
The aforementioned salvation for Oliver comes in the form of the kindly Nancy (Alyce Liburd in her Hull Truck debut). Girlfriend of the notorious bully-boy Bill Sikes (Christopher D Hunt), Nancy soon pays a hefty price for her kindly actions.
Benevolent Mr Brownlow (dual role for William Relton), saviour of a young lady called Rose (Jessica Jolleys) who might be connected to Oliver, also has the boy’s welfare at heart.
Eight professional actors bring this story to life, with help from a 19-strong young company of performers who have been cast from Hull Truck’s Youth Theatre and other local performing arts groups.
Many of the eight have numerous roles, all seamlessly interjected into proceedings, and all very believable in their characters.
There is menace aplenty (take a bow Hunt as Sikes); fear and goodness emanates from Liburd’s Nancy, while Whitehead’s Mr Bumble is the perfect mixture of greed, pomposity and covert nastiness.
Fitzjohn as the coffin maker’s wife (one of three roles for her on the night) drew laughs aplenty from the audience, with her facial expressions and pet cat. But I wouldn’t like to bump into her on a dark night!
Relton as her hen-pecked husband revealed a grasping side that transformed into goodness itself as the kindly Mr Brownlow.
Howard’s female Fagin was totally unscrupulous, devious, yet mesmerising. It was hard to dislike her character.
A more quieter performance, yet just as effective, came from Jolleys as Oliver’s birth mum, Agnes, and her ladylike sister, Rose, while Robyn McIntyre entertained in the ensemble and swing cover roles.
And showing talents beyond their years were two youngsters who, in the lead role of Oliver (showing vulnerability, feistiness and stubbornness) and his thieving new pal, the Artful Dodger (older and more streetwise than Oliver, but with a protective side to his character) gave hints of becoming stage stars of the future.
Oliver Twist, directed by Mark Babych, features original music by John Biddle as well as the most popular Christmas tunes of our time. And, at the end of proceedings, the sight of snow falling on to the cast, left us all basking in a festive glow. Bravo to all concerned.
Recommended age 7+
Oliver Twist runs until Sunday, January 4th, 2026 at Hull Truck Theatre with tickets available from (01482) 323638 or www.hulltruck.co.uk
Reviewer: Jackie Foottit
Reviewed: 2nd December 2025
North West End UK Rating: