JUST as Thursday, May 7 was a triumph for the Conservative party, so it was a triumphant night for DODS too, and the other nights that week, as they presented Oliver! at the Chantry Hall, Dursley.

Lionel Bart wrote so many happy, sad, funny and captivating songs for this musical based on Charles Dickens’ classic, ’Oliver Twist’. They have lived on for a reason, and DODS’ singing was more than adequate, taming most of those elusive high notes with aplomb, while the acting, costumes and ingenious set made you think you’d wandered into a West End theatre by mistake.

There was a galaxy of DODS stars on stage, all worthy of special mention. Oliver was a Posh Toff kid, played beautifully by Finlay Embery on alternate nights with Thomas Dando as Oliver on the other nights. Junior DODS members made a great chorus of orphans, suitably shocked when Oliver famously asked for more.

Huw Prince shone as the Artful Dodger, ably assisted by Fagin’s lost boys, Junior DODS reincarnated from their earlier roles as orphans, creating a great atmosphere and making stealing handkerchiefs seem like fun.

Craig Hewlett and Helena Say made a great team as Mr & Mrs Sowerberry, the Undertakers that bought Oliver for £5 to work as their dogsbody, sleeping amongst the coffins at night.

Morgan Wise has to be one of the most versatile performers you’ve ever seen. As Undertaker Sowerberry’s assistant, Noah Claypole, he was a nasty piece of work. Yet later, with the entire cast singing the glorioius ‘Oom-pah-pah’, he was an eye-catching and energetic dancer; and later still, in the street scene, dressed as a posh toff you realized what a handsome cove he is, with real stage presence.

Space does not permit mentioning everyone, but Laura Cooper as Nancy, singing ‘As long as he needs me’, loving and standing by Bill Sykes far more than he deserved; James Essey as a convincingly sleazy Fagin; Jim Robinson as the avaricious Mr Bumble the Beadle; Stuart Whitman as intimidating Bill Sykes; and Andrew Telford in a couple of captivating cameo roles, all kept the standard high and the entertainment coming.

The atmosphere of the second half – with Nancy’s murder and justice at last for Oliver – had to be darker, deeper, less ebullient.

The deft hand of Director Ken Hitchings was evident throughout, never more so than during Oliver’s final song as the cast unobtrusively gathered around him for the grand finale.

The excellent orchestra, under the direction of Roger Winter, maintained that delicate balance between supporting not drowning the singing. There was a fine violin soloist amongst them, Geoff Short.

Just as the production had exploded onto the stage at the start, so the audience exploded into applause at the end. Well done, DODS.

By Trish Mills