A marvellous evening at the Gielgud Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, as Julie, Lisa, Ben and I made our annual pilgrimage to the West End for a dinner and show. On this occasion, the wonderful current production of Oliver! Arriving at Charing Cross Station, we walked through Covent Garden towards Soho, delighting in the range of Christmas lights on display in the streets. We did stop at one of my favourite sites, however, namely the ever-fascinating Moroccan cafe which was previously Bunjies Folk Club in the 1960s.
I had booked a 5pm table at Mele e Pere in Brewer Street and soon we were enjoying a number of classic Italian dishes. 7pm soon came around and we made the short walk to the theatre. We had very good seats in the stalls, just in front of the sound desk, which made for a fine position to appreciate the brilliant combination of innovative staging, cast singing and pit orchestral playing.
The cast, led by Simon Lipkin’s tremendous interpretation in the role of Fagin, ensured a dynamic delivery of Lionel Bart’s timeless songs. Highly recommended.
