The plot of Dickens's original novel is considerably simplified for the purposes of the musical, with Fagin being represented more as a comic character than as a villain, and large portions of the latter part of the story being completely left out.

The original cast featured Ron Moody as Fagin, Georgia Brown as Nancy, and Barry Humphries in the supporting role of Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker.

[citation needed] Other boys who alternated in the juvenile leads included Phil Collins, Leonard Whiting and Davy Jones as the Artful Dodger.

[citation needed] Steve Marriott played workhouse boys including The Artful Dodger, and he is featured on the original soundtrack LP.

[citation needed] Sid James turned down the part of Fagin as the timing of the production coincided with his own attempts to move away from the shady and roguish roles for which he was well known.

The national tour and cast recording featured Michael Goodman as The Artful Dodger, but on Broadway the role was played by future Monkee Davy Jones, another veteran of the London production.

It ran at the Martin Beck Theatre for 64 performances, featuring Victor Stiles as Oliver, Robin Ramsay as Fagin, Maura K. Wedge as Nancy, Joey Baio as The Artful Dodger, Dominic Chianese as Mr. Sowerberry, Alan Crofoot as Mr. Bumble, Danny Sewell as Bill Sikes, Bram Nossen as Mr. Brownlow, and Dodi Protero as Mrs. Bedwin.

[8] Georgia Brown, Davy Jones, Ronnie Kroll, Joan Lombardo, and Robin Ramsay appeared performing two musical numbers from Oliver!

[9][10] A revival opened in April 1967 at the Piccadilly Theatre, starring Paul Bartlett as the title character and Barry Humphries as Fagin, with Marti Webb as Nancy, running for 331 performances.

[citation needed] Mackintosh was asked to revive the show yet again in 1983 for a limited five-week Christmas season at the Aldwych Theatre, directed by Peter Coe.

Ron Moody returned as Fagin, with Jackie Marks as Nancy, Linal Haft as Bill Sikes, Meg Johnson as Mrs Corney, Peter Bayliss as Mr. Bumble, and Geoffrey Toone as Mr Brownlow.

David Garlick reprised his West End performance as The Artful Dodger, the first British youngster to appear on Broadway since Davy Jones, creating the Equity Exchange Program in the process.

The show only received one negative review; it was from Frank Rich of The New York Times who called the production "likely to hold the attention of only the youngest and most obedient children" and "just dull".

The production team included a young Sam Mendes as director, with Anthony Ward as designer, Matthew Bourne as choreographer, Martin Koch as music supervisor and William David Brohn as orchestrator.

The role of Oliver was played by numerous child actors during the run of four years, including Gregory Bradley, Ben Reynolds, Jon Lee, Steven Webb, James Bourne, Simon Schofield, James Rowntree and Tom Fletcher, while the Artful Dodger was played by Adam Searles and others including Matt Johnson, Paul Bailey and Bronson Webb.

[17] The role of Fagin was later played by many notable British actors and comedians including George Layton, Russ Abbot, Jim Dale and Robert Lindsay (who won an Olivier Award for his performance in 1997).

Bill Sikes was later portrayed by Steven Hartley and Joe McGann, and Nancy by Sonia Swaby, Claire Moore and Ruthie Henshall.

[18] Following the Palladium production, a UK tour produced by Mackintosh (in co-production with Theatre Royal, Plymouth) began in 1998 starring Gary Wilmot as Fagin, Sonia Swaby as Nancy and David Birrell as Bill Sikes.

Anthony Ward repeated his acclaimed scenic and costume designs while William David Brohn joined the team as orchestrator, revising some of the musical arrangements.

When Rowan Atkinson fell ill in April 2009, Russ Abbot stepped in to play the role temporarily who previously starred in the 1997 Palladium run.

The tour was announced to star Neil Morrissey and Brian Conley sharing the role of Fagin and Samantha Barks (who came third in the BBC reality show I'd Do Anything, which was won by Jodie Prenger to be cast in the 2009 revival as Nancy) as Nancy before sharing the role with Cat Simmons while Barks left to appear as Éponine in the film adaptation of Les Misérables (after Mackintosh announced the casting in January 2011 during the curtain call of a performance at the Palace Theatre, Manchester).

[26] The cast features Lilli Cooper (Nancy), Raúl Esparza (Fagin), Julian Lerner (The Artful Dodger), Tam Mutu (Bill Sikes), Brad Oscar (Mr. Bumble), Benjamin Pajak (Oliver), Michael Siberry (Mr. Brownlow), and Mary Testa (Widow Corney) with direction by Lear deBessonet.

It is newly-revised by Mackintosh and directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, designed by Lez Brotherston with a cast including Simon Lipkin as Fagin, Shanay Holmes as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins as the Artful Dodger, and Philip Franks as Mr.

[29][30][31] In December 2013, a revival directed by Daniel Evans opened at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield with Tom Edden as Fagin for the festive season.

An actor-musician production opened at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury directed by Luke Sheppard with a cast including Cameron Blakely as Fagin and Alice Fearn as Nancy which ran from 31 July to 19 September 2015.

In December 2015, a revival opened at the Curve, Leicester for the festive season starring Peter Polycarpou as Fagin, Cat Simmons and Laura Pitt-Pulford as Nancy, directed by Paul Kerryson.

In November 2023, a production opened at the Leeds Playhouse (converting the theatre in the round) for the festive season directed by James Brining with a cast including Steve Furst as Fagin and Jenny Fitzpatrick as Nancy.

John Waters played Fagin, Tamsin Carroll was Nancy, and the production also featured Stuart Wagstaff, Steve Bastoni and Madison Orr and Keegan Joyce in the title role, which was rotated between the two.

It starred original Fagin Ron Moody with Jack Wild, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed, Mark Lester, Harry Secombe and Leonard Rossiter.

It is set seven years after the events in the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens where the Artful Dodger has been sentenced to an Australian penal colony and has a romantic involvement with the character Bet.