Worthing Musical Comedy Society (WMCS) brings Lionel’s Bart’s adaptation of Charles Dicken’s masterpiece to life with gusto.

This much-loved musical tells the tale of a young orphan in a workhouse who is sold to an undertaker. Miserable, he runs away to London where he meets a gang of pickpockets, led by Fagin.

Atmospheric lighting and tattered costumes immediately set the scene for Dickens’s melodramatic narrative. The young cast sing opener Food Glorious Food with conviction and effective choreography.

Oliver, played by Henry Andrews (and Daniel Neale on alternate nights) has the voice of an angel that tugs at the heart strings throughout.

High praise goes to the scene-stealing Artful Dodger, played by Harvey Lodge with an abundance of that vital cheeky chappie charm. Andy Roberts’s Fagin is delightfully reminiscent of Ron Moody.

Wayne Roberts plays villainous Bill Sikes convincingly and menacingly; contrasting well with Terri Geal’s Nancy, whose portrayal combines warmth, dependence and defiance. As Long As He Needs Me shows heart-wrenching emotion as she wrestles her blind devotion for violent lover Sikes.

WMCS do justice to the timeless score. Lively numbers Consider Yourself and Oom Pah Pah are a highlight. This amateur production could easily rival a professional company. Consider Yourself entertained.