Sh*t-Faced Showtime: Oliver With A Twist

A review by Charli Bruce

On Friday evening we headed down to the Leicester Square Theatre to see Sh*t-Faced Showtime: Oliver With A twist. We had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for, as all we knew was that before the show starts a cast member spends 4 hours getting drunk and then is expected to perform. Every show has a different actor and as the show goes along with however the drunk cast member takes the show, meaning that show times can vary.

As the lights dimmed and the show started, we were greeted by our compere for the evening, Katy Baker, who also wrote and directed the show. She let us know exactly how the show would play out, and that she needed people to let her know if the intoxicated actor was looking a little sober, as she was on hand with a trolley full of drink to top them up.

The story followed the traditional Oliver Twist storyline, with the much-loved characters from the movie – Oliver, Fagin, Nancy, Artful Dodger and of course Bill Sikes and his dog Bull’s-Eye. I love the fact that it was kept traditional but definitely had a few up to date twists; like the market sellers flogging off Greggs Vegan Sausage Rolls and Avocado on toast.

The actress who was intoxicated on Friday evening was a joy to watch, and she really made the part of Oliver her own, even renaming him Oliver ‘Smashing Lady’ Twist. She was a barrel of laughs and threw some kinks into the works. The other actors on stage were great with picking these up and carried on adapting the script to the adlibs they had thrown in.

One of the parts I particularly liked was the fact Sikes’ dog was in fact a toy dog on wheels, who was then rode around the stage by our intoxicated Oliver. She also stood up for women’s rights in the scene where Sikes strikes Nancy and plotted to kill him with a rubber chicken.

Over all I thoroughly loved the show and I would go back to see it in a heartbeat. If you are looking for an old classic with a boozy twist then Oliver With A Twist is definitely for you. It sets the tone for a great night out on the West End and leaves your stomach sore from laughter. The show runs until the 12th of April so I would suggest grabbing some tickets now as you won’t be disappointed.