Lionel Bart's musical adaptation of Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist follows Oliver, an orphan in a Victorian workhouse who, after famously asking for more gruel, escapes to London and falls in with a gang of child pickpockets led by the wily Fagin and the charming young thief the Artful Dodger. Oliver's path crosses with the menacing burglar Bill Sikes and his devoted, tragic companion Nancy, whose loyalty to Oliver ultimately costs her dearly, before Oliver is finally rescued and reunited with his true family. The show balances Dickens's grim depiction of poverty and crime in industrial London with rousing, tuneful numbers like Food, Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, and As Long As He Needs Me. It remains one of the most beloved musical adaptations of a literary classic for its blend of Dickensian grit and irresistible melody.

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