The Story
Act I
The curtain opens on the interior of a workhouse in the English Midlands with bare dining tables. The workhouse orphans enter singing “Food, Glorious Food.” At the end of the song, The Widow Corney and Mr. Bumble, who run the workhouse, enter and serve gruel. Oliver approaches Mr. Bumble and asks for more gruel. Mr. Bumble is horrified, and subdues Oliver—“Oliver”—and he’s locked up as the orphans exit. Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney enjoy tea in her parlour, “I Shall Scream.”
Mr. Bumble takes Oliver out of the workhouse and tries to sell him on the streets of the town, “Boy for Sale”. Eventually, the undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, and his wife agree to take him on approval. “It’s Your Funeral.” Oliver is alone and frightened and must sleep amongst the coffins. “Where is Love?”
The undertaker’s apprentice, Noah Claypool arrives and insults Oliver’s orphan status. Noah and Oliver get into a fight, and Mrs. Sowerberry, Charlotte (the Sowerberry’s daughter) and Noah force Oliver into a coffin, sit on the lid and send for Mr. Bumble. Oliver takes advantage of the resulting confusion when Mrs. Sowerberry faints and escapes.
A week later, Oliver arrives at Paddington Green (a park) in London. Sitting down to eat his last crust of bread, he is approached by the Artful Dodger, who offers him friendship and a place to stay, “Consider Yourself”.
Dodger takes him to Fagin’s hideout. Fagin is a master criminal who runs a school for pickpockets and he introduces Oliver to the art of street thievery, “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two”.
The next morning, Nancy and her sister Bet arrive at Fagin’s lair and everybody sings “It’s a Fine Life”. Fagin introduces Oliver and they all sing, “I’d Do Anything” until Fagin sends the boys out to work “Be Back Soon”. Mr. Brownlow’s pocket is picked and Oliver is arrested for looking guilty, though he wasn’t the pickpocket.
Act II
In “The Three Cripples” tavern, Bet, Nancy, Fagin and the customers sing, “Oom Pah Pah”. Nancy’s boyfriend Bill Sykes enters. Everyone is afraid of Bill, who tells why in “My Name.” Dodger rushes in with the news of Oliver’s arrest, and says Oliver has gone home with the alleged victim to a house in a wealthy neighbourhood. Bill is concerned that Oliver will tell the police about the pickpocket gang. He convinces Nancy to kidnap Oliver from his benefactor’s house. Nancy sings, “As Long as He Needs Me.”
Two weeks later, Oliver is living in Mr. Brownlow’s house and the housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin sings, ‘Where is Love” to him as a lullaby as he wakes up. They look out the window as street vendors begin to fill the street in front of the house. “Who Will Buy?”
Dr. Grimwig comes to see Oliver and Mr. Brownlow points out the resemblance between a portrait of Agnes Brownlow, his daughter, and Oliver. Against Dr. Grimwig’s advice, Mr. Brownlow entrusts Oliver with some money and valuable books to settle with the booksellers. More “Who Will Buy” and Nancy, Bill Sykes and Bet snatch Oliver and take him back to Fagin’s.
Back at Fagin’s hideout, Bill Sykes takes both the books and the money and Oliver says Mr. Brownlow will send the police to search for him. Nancy and Bill Sykes get into a heated argument over Oliver’s fate. Fagin tries to mediate and the three reprise “It’s a Fine Life.”
Nancy, Bill Sykes, Dodger and Oliver leave, and Fagin is left alone “Reviewing the Situation.”
Back in the workhouse parlour, the former Widow Corney, now Mrs. Bumble and Mr. Bumble are not so happily married. An Old Lady tells Mrs. Bumble that the dying Old Sally has something to tell her. Sally confesses years before she’d stolen a gold locket from a dying young woman who had just given birth to a boy named Oliver. Sally dies and Mr. and Mrs. Bumble agree that they must “retrieve that boy” reprising “Oliver”.
A few days later, Mr. Bumble pays Mr. Brownlow a visit. Mr. Brownlow is outraged at the Bumbles’ behaviour and Mr. Bumble leaves, after blaming Mrs. Bumble for all their misdeeds. Mrs. Bedwin announces the arrival of a young woman, Nancy. Nancy explains Oliver’s predicament and offers to deliver Oliver to London Bridge at midnight that night so Mr. Brownlow can take him back home. When Mr. Brownlow urges Nancy to save herself, she reprises, “As Long as He Needs Me.”
At midnight, Nancy and Oliver arrive at London Bridge, but they are surprised by Bill Sykes who kills Nancy and takes Oliver. Mr. Brownlow passes Bill Sykes on his way to the rendezvous, sees Nancy’s body and sounds the alarm. The growing crowd recognizes Bill Sykes from Mr. Brownlow’s description and sets out to find him. They discover him on the roof of the thieves’ den and he is shot. Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver home, the Dodger is led away by the police and Fagin is left alone to reprise, “Reviewing the Situation.”
The curtain opens on the interior of a workhouse in the English Midlands with bare dining tables. The workhouse orphans enter singing “Food, Glorious Food.” At the end of the song, The Widow Corney and Mr. Bumble, who run the workhouse, enter and serve gruel. Oliver approaches Mr. Bumble and asks for more gruel. Mr. Bumble is horrified, and subdues Oliver—“Oliver”—and he’s locked up as the orphans exit. Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Corney enjoy tea in her parlour, “I Shall Scream.”
Mr. Bumble takes Oliver out of the workhouse and tries to sell him on the streets of the town, “Boy for Sale”. Eventually, the undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry, and his wife agree to take him on approval. “It’s Your Funeral.” Oliver is alone and frightened and must sleep amongst the coffins. “Where is Love?”
The undertaker’s apprentice, Noah Claypool arrives and insults Oliver’s orphan status. Noah and Oliver get into a fight, and Mrs. Sowerberry, Charlotte (the Sowerberry’s daughter) and Noah force Oliver into a coffin, sit on the lid and send for Mr. Bumble. Oliver takes advantage of the resulting confusion when Mrs. Sowerberry faints and escapes.
A week later, Oliver arrives at Paddington Green (a park) in London. Sitting down to eat his last crust of bread, he is approached by the Artful Dodger, who offers him friendship and a place to stay, “Consider Yourself”.
Dodger takes him to Fagin’s hideout. Fagin is a master criminal who runs a school for pickpockets and he introduces Oliver to the art of street thievery, “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two”.
The next morning, Nancy and her sister Bet arrive at Fagin’s lair and everybody sings “It’s a Fine Life”. Fagin introduces Oliver and they all sing, “I’d Do Anything” until Fagin sends the boys out to work “Be Back Soon”. Mr. Brownlow’s pocket is picked and Oliver is arrested for looking guilty, though he wasn’t the pickpocket.
Act II
In “The Three Cripples” tavern, Bet, Nancy, Fagin and the customers sing, “Oom Pah Pah”. Nancy’s boyfriend Bill Sykes enters. Everyone is afraid of Bill, who tells why in “My Name.” Dodger rushes in with the news of Oliver’s arrest, and says Oliver has gone home with the alleged victim to a house in a wealthy neighbourhood. Bill is concerned that Oliver will tell the police about the pickpocket gang. He convinces Nancy to kidnap Oliver from his benefactor’s house. Nancy sings, “As Long as He Needs Me.”
Two weeks later, Oliver is living in Mr. Brownlow’s house and the housekeeper, Mrs. Bedwin sings, ‘Where is Love” to him as a lullaby as he wakes up. They look out the window as street vendors begin to fill the street in front of the house. “Who Will Buy?”
Dr. Grimwig comes to see Oliver and Mr. Brownlow points out the resemblance between a portrait of Agnes Brownlow, his daughter, and Oliver. Against Dr. Grimwig’s advice, Mr. Brownlow entrusts Oliver with some money and valuable books to settle with the booksellers. More “Who Will Buy” and Nancy, Bill Sykes and Bet snatch Oliver and take him back to Fagin’s.
Back at Fagin’s hideout, Bill Sykes takes both the books and the money and Oliver says Mr. Brownlow will send the police to search for him. Nancy and Bill Sykes get into a heated argument over Oliver’s fate. Fagin tries to mediate and the three reprise “It’s a Fine Life.”
Nancy, Bill Sykes, Dodger and Oliver leave, and Fagin is left alone “Reviewing the Situation.”
Back in the workhouse parlour, the former Widow Corney, now Mrs. Bumble and Mr. Bumble are not so happily married. An Old Lady tells Mrs. Bumble that the dying Old Sally has something to tell her. Sally confesses years before she’d stolen a gold locket from a dying young woman who had just given birth to a boy named Oliver. Sally dies and Mr. and Mrs. Bumble agree that they must “retrieve that boy” reprising “Oliver”.
A few days later, Mr. Bumble pays Mr. Brownlow a visit. Mr. Brownlow is outraged at the Bumbles’ behaviour and Mr. Bumble leaves, after blaming Mrs. Bumble for all their misdeeds. Mrs. Bedwin announces the arrival of a young woman, Nancy. Nancy explains Oliver’s predicament and offers to deliver Oliver to London Bridge at midnight that night so Mr. Brownlow can take him back home. When Mr. Brownlow urges Nancy to save herself, she reprises, “As Long as He Needs Me.”
At midnight, Nancy and Oliver arrive at London Bridge, but they are surprised by Bill Sykes who kills Nancy and takes Oliver. Mr. Brownlow passes Bill Sykes on his way to the rendezvous, sees Nancy’s body and sounds the alarm. The growing crowd recognizes Bill Sykes from Mr. Brownlow’s description and sets out to find him. They discover him on the roof of the thieves’ den and he is shot. Mr. Brownlow takes Oliver home, the Dodger is led away by the police and Fagin is left alone to reprise, “Reviewing the Situation.”
