Oliver! The Musical: Book Tickets Now

See Oliver! at the Gielgud Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, a short walk from Piccadilly Circus, in Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne's award-winning production.

Oliver!

Highlights

Hear a sensational score including “Food, Glorious Food”, “Consider Yourself”, “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two”, “I’d Do Anything”, “Oom-Pah-Pah” and “As Long as He Needs Me”.

Experience the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece brought vividly to life from Dickens’ ever-popular story.

See a production fully reconceived by producer Cameron Mackintosh and director and choreographer Matthew Bourne.

Enjoy a creative team that includes designer Lez Brotherston, lighting designers Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs, and co-director Jean-Pierre van der Spuy.

Good to Know About Oliver!

The show runs about 2 hours 40 minutes: That includes a 20-minute interval.

Recommended for ages 7 and over: Under-3s are not admitted, and under-16s must sit next to a ticket holder aged 18 or over. Everyone needs their own ticket, whatever their age.

The production uses gunfire and smoke: Both effects feature on stage, so keep this in mind if you’re bringing younger children.

Doors open 45 minutes before curtain up: Bag checks happen on arrival, so leave yourself time to clear security and get a drink.

Food and drink bought elsewhere isn’t allowed in: The theatre’s bars sell drinks and snacks, though not hot food.

Latecomers wait for a suitable break: Entry after curtain up isn’t guaranteed, so aim to arrive in good time.

About Oliver!

Oliver Twist is an orphan raised in a bleak workhouse, where asking for a second helping of gruel gets him sold to an undertaker. He runs away to London and is taken in by the Artful Dodger, who leads him to Fagin and his gang of young pickpockets. There he meets Nancy, who is fond of the boy but tied to her violent partner, Bill Sikes. When Oliver is wrongly arrested for theft, the wealthy Mr Brownlow offers him a different life, as long as Fagin's gang will let him go.

Cameron Mackintosh produced and revised this version of Lionel Bart's musical. Matthew Bourne directs and choreographs, with Jean-Pierre van der Spuy as co-director, Lez Brotherston as designer, and lighting by Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs.
Simon Lipkin returns as Fagin from 3 November 2026, after a six-week run by Matt Lucas. Ava Brennan plays Nancy, Aaron Sidwell is Bill Sikes and Aaron MacGregor is the Artful Dodger.

Interesting Facts About Oliver!

Lionel Bart wrote the book, music and lyrics, freely adapting Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist. He couldn't read or write music, so composer Eric Rogers wrote down the melodies as Bart hummed them.

The original production opened at the New Theatre, now the Noël Coward Theatre, on 30 June 1960 and ran for 2,618 performances, a record for a British musical at the time.

Bart won a Tony Award for the score after the show reached Broadway, making him the first British composer to win one.

The 1968 film version won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Cameron Mackintosh has produced Oliver! before. His 1994 revival at the London Palladium was directed by Sam Mendes, and a larger version later played the Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 2008 to 2011.

It earned four nominations at the 2025 Olivier Awards, and Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs won Best Lighting Design.

Matthew Bourne is best known for his reinventions of classics such as Swan Lake and Edward Scissorhands with his dance company, New Adventures.

Oliver! - Highlights in Pictures

Gielgud Theatre

Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6AR, on the corner of Rupert Street

Designed by W.G.R. Sprague in Louis XVI style and Grade II listed; it is the twin of the Sondheim Theatre on the next corner

Opened on 27 December 1906 as the Hicks Theatre, became the Globe in 1909, and was renamed the Gielgud in 1994 in honour of Sir John Gielgud

Run by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres since 2006, with seating on three levels: Stalls, Dress Circle and Grand Circle

Getting There

By Tube
By Bus
By Car

By Tube

Piccadilly Circus, on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines, is the nearest tube station and just a few minutes' walk away.

Leicester Square (Northern and Piccadilly lines) is also close, and Charing Cross is the nearest National Rail station.

Gielgud Theatre - Facilities and Accessibility

The Gielgud has five licensed bars, including the Sprague Terrace, and toilets on every level of the auditorium. Getting to your seat involves stairs: 15 steps to the Stalls, 23 to the Dress Circle and 45 to the Grand Circle. A cloakroom is available for a small fee, though space is limited.

Wheelchair users enter through the third side exit door on Rupert Street. Check in at the main entrance first and an access host will help.
Removable seats in the Dress Circle (A3 to A6 and A30 to A33) make room for up to four wheelchairs with companions. There is a 12cm step at the front of the Dress Circle, and a ramp is available.
An adapted toilet is in the foyer near the bar, and the Foyer Bar can be reached from the wheelchair spaces without steps.

FAQs about Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

What is Oliver! about?

Orphan Oliver Twist escapes the workhouse and ends up in London with Fagin's gang of child pickpockets. Nancy tries to protect him from the brutal Bill Sikes, while the kindly Mr Brownlow offers him a way out.

How long is Oliver!?

About 2 hours 40 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

What age guidance applies to Oliver!?

Recommended for ages 7 and over. Under-3s are not admitted, and under-16s must sit next to a ticket holder aged 18 or over.

Are there content warnings for Oliver!?

Yes. The production includes gunfire and smoke.

Who is in the cast?

Simon Lipkin plays Fagin from 3 November 2026, following Matt Lucas. Ava Brennan plays Nancy, Aaron Sidwell plays Bill Sikes and Aaron MacGregor plays the Artful Dodger.

What are the performance times?

Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, and matinees at 2.30pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Which songs are in Oliver!?

The score includes Food, Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, Where Is Love?, As Long as He Needs Me and Reviewing the Situation.

Is there a BSL-interpreted performance?

Yes, at 2.30pm on Saturday 7 November 2026.

Is the Gielgud Theatre wheelchair accessible?

Yes. Wheelchair users enter via the side exit door on Rupert Street, and removable Dress Circle seats make space for up to four wheelchairs with companions.

What is the nearest tube station to the Gielgud Theatre?

Piccadilly Circus, on the Bakerloo and Piccadilly lines.

Which bus routes serve the theatre?

Routes 14, 19 and 38 stop nearby.

Is there parking near the Gielgud Theatre?

The theatre is inside the Congestion Charge zone and the ULEZ. Q-Park Theatreland car parks offer 50% off after midday, NCP has a car park on Lexington Street, and Blue Badge bays are on Archer Street and Rupert Street.