OLIVER! Oliver! Never before has a boy wanted more. And never before have so many musical geniuses come together to restage one of the country’s best-loved tales.

Cameron Mackintosh joined forces with renowned choreographer Matthew Bourne for this latest interpretation of Charles’ Dickens classic story, adapted by Lionel Bart, of orphan Oliver and his hopeless struggle on the savage streets of London.

With arguably one of the best scores ever written, a huge inter-changing set, TV’s Neil Morrissey pulling in the crowds as the long-fingered, pick-pocketing miser Fagin and Les Miserables film star Samantha Barks as one of English literature’s favourite tarts with a heart Nancy, this last five weeks of the 2012/13 tour in Bristol had all the ingredients to bring the West End to the Hippodrome.

The audience was eager with anticipation at Thursday night’s press launch and they were not disappointed.

From the opening scene which solely featured children in the orphanage, the phenomenal, fast and precise choreography to Food, Glorious Food left most people open-mouthed.

The first act’s undertaker and orphanage scenes with Mr Bumble (Jack Edwards) and Mrs Corney (Claire Machin) kept us waiting for those big numbers synonymous with Mackintosh productions and what we were all here to see.

But as soon as Consider Yourself got underway, the musical ambitions of this production were quickly realised. The energy on display for each ensemble song was immense and the fast-paced choreography gave the realistic impression of a bustling East End street.

The vocal talents of Samantha Barks, who came third in the BBC talent programme I’d Do Anything before starring in the Oscar-nominated film Les Miserables, are easily the headline story from the show. Barks’ power and deep emotion, particularly in the spine-tingling As Long As He Needs Me, reveal a connection with her character which she has developed over a number of years and her youth at only 22 helped her resonate with Fagin’s gang as well as the many young theatre-goers in the audience.

Even for a non-singer such as Morrissey, he managed to pull off a plethora of numbers; You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two, Be back Soon and Reviewing the Situation. For some, the Men Behaving Badly star made Dickens’ frightening Fagin too comical especially in a specially-written scene in which he assumes amusing voices for his hoard of hidden jewels and even makes a reference to his Number One hit from children's show Bob the Builder.

But, with this production of Oliver! billed as a family show, his humorous additions were welcome in contrast to the dark and dastardly Bill Sikes (Iain Fletcher).

Although he didn’t have to say very much throughout, Fletcher’s sheer spine-chilling presence on stage spoke volumes and with a real one-eyed Bull Terrier in the role of Bull’s Eye, we were all scared out of our wits at Dickens’ baddest baddie.

Stephen Moore, star of Brassed Off and TV regular, was the perfect gentleman as Oliver’s saviour Mr Brownloe.

In last night’s show, Sebastian Croft, one of four Olivers to be performing in Bristol, had the entire theatre in the palm of his hand with his beautiful rendition of Where is Love. As well as reaching all the notes of this heart-wrenching song, nine-year-old Sebastian acted it out to tear-jerking effect.

His counterpart and East End wideboy, the Artful Dodger, was played by Daniel Huttlestone who also appears in the Les Miserables film. Daniel showed off great character with dance moves aplenty and a perfected London accent.

With so many songs everyone knows and such renewed enthusiasm for this age-old story, Who Will Buy me a ticket to see it again? Oliver! is on at the Bristol Hippodrome until February 24.