A ‘masterpiece’ musical that’s running in London’s West End has been hailed as better than Hamilton, The Lion and Les Miserables. Oliver! The Musical returns to London’s West End in a spectacular new production at the Gielgud Theatre until October 4, 2026.
The musical has a score of 95 on the show-score, which is better than the popular Hamilton and Les Misérables, both of which have been scored at 94. Matthew Bourne helms the Olivier Award-winning revival of Oliver! breathing new life into Lionel Bart’s beloved musical. Produced by Cameron Mackintosh, this dynamic production reimagines Charles Dickens’ classic tale of Oliver Twist, a young orphan navigating the gritty streets of Victorian London.
Audiences are swept into a world of unforgettable characters—Fagin, Nancy, and Bill Sikes—brought to life by a stellar cast including Simon Lipkin, Shanay Holmes, and Aaron Sidwell.
With iconic songs like “Food Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,” and “As Long As He Needs Me,” the show blends nostalgia with bold theatricality.
The creative team, featuring Lez Brotherston on design and Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs on lighting—whose work earned them the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design—delivers a visually stunning experience.
This revival offers a fresh, emotionally resonant take on a timeless musical that continues to captivate audiences.
One of the critics wrote: “I still have the odd reservation about Simon Lipkin’s lustily buccaneering Fagin… and perhaps Aaron Sidwell’s Sikes could growl more… But the whole thing is delivered with such tightly choreographed panache that any quibbles rapidly melt away.”
Another one commented: “It’s solid. The songs remain a remarkable achievement… The biggest flaw, though, is one that’s haunted the show for decades: Olivier himself is just pretty bland…clearly it’s not something Mackintosh is desperately bothered about fixing. And why would he?”
Not only the critics, but the audiences were left mesmerised after finishing the musical.
One of them said: “Excellent production. The cast were stunning, particularly Fagin, Nancy and Billy Skyes. The set design and manipulation was top notch. The singing throughout was superb. An excellent show that I will see again.”
A second user chimed in: “It was fantastic. Fagin and Nancy were the showstoppers.”