History Theatre / Oliver

** Jack Dawkins, aka the Artful Dodger, is also a "kinder gentler" version; he steals to survive but bears no malice. In fact, the [[TokenEvilTeammate only truly evil gang member]] is Sykes.

--->'''Sykes:''' ''What is it?''

* VillainSong: "Pick a Pocket or Two" for Fagin, "My Name" for Sykes. Other characters who have villainous traits such as the Bumbles and the Sowerberries have their own in "Oliver" and "That's Your Funeral" respectively.

''Oliver!'' is a musical adaptation of ''OliverTwist'', with book, music, and lyrics all by Lionel Bart. It premiered on London's West End in 1960, had its first Broadway production in 1963 and was made into a movie in 1968.

* CharacterDevelopment: Fagin provides a very interesting case study in the movie adaptation. When Oliver first meets him, he's a loud and frightening stranger who emerges from a cloud of smoke like the very Devil from Hell, bellowing at some random youngster who complains about the food to "Shut up and drink your gin!" Then, as Oliver gets introduced to everyone and shows him around, Fagin starts looking a lot more like a [[LaughablyEvil comical villain]], particularly during the song "You've Got to Pick a Pocket Or Two" where he hams up his whole GreedyJew motif to pull some laughs. Later, as things get more serious, he reveals in his song "Reviewing the Situation" that he's tired of his whole criminal enterprise and wants out, but truly has nowhere to go, making him quite a sympathetic character indeed. By the end, he's pretty much run the entire range of Jewish Villain characterizations from Shakespeare's time to ours.

** Subverted with [[spoiler:Fagin]] in the ending. He plans to do this, but [[spoiler:instead chooses to leave with Dodger and continue a life of pickpocketing]]. It's rather [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming heartwarming]], in a strange way.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Fagin seems to dislike Bill Sikes's penchant for violence and his treatment of Nancy. The thieves and pickpockets under his care also react with horror when Sikes beats Nancy in front of them.

** Sikes's dog Bullseye
* LargeHam: Fagin

** Jack Dawkins, aka the Artful Dodger, is also a 'kinder gentler' version; he steals to survive but bears no malice. In fact, the only truly evil gang member is Sykes.

* ARoundOfDrinksForTheHouse: discussed (optimistically) in "Consider Yourself"

* ARoundOfDrinksForTheHouse -- discussed (optimistically) in "Consider Yourself";

* AffablyEvil: Fagin, also Dodger

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Nancy sings about her love of Bill Sikes, the best thief who's a cold, bullying monster. [[spoiler: He ends up killing her.]]

* VillainSong: ''Pick a Pocket or Two'' for Fagin, ''My Name'' for Sykes. Other characters who have vilalinous triats such as the Bumbles and the Sowerberries have their own in ''Oliver'' and ''That's Your Funeral'' respectively.

** Nancy is forced by Sikes to lead Oliver into a trap so he be brought back to Fagin. Later she then risks her own life to save Oliver from Sikes.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Nancy sings about her love of Bill Sykes, the best thief who's a cold, bullying monster. [[spoiler: He ends up killing her.]]

** Some productions leave [[spoiler:Nancy]]'s death ambiguous, implying there's a chance she survived. The film version leaves no doubt that Sykes killed her.

** [[spolier:The Artful Dodger]] avoids arrest and being sent to Australia.

* ArtfulDodger: Well of course. In fact even moreso than in the book.

** Some productions leave [[spoiler:Nancy]]'s death ambiguous, implying there's a chance ahe survived.

** [[spoiler:TheArtfulDodger]] also survives.
** [[spoiler: [[{{DidNotDoTheResearch}} Dodger doesn't die in any version, book included; he's transported]].]]

** Some productions leave [[spoiler:Nancy]]'s death ambiguous, implying there's a chance they survived.

* LoveableRogue: Fagin, de-emphasizing his GreedyJew characterization in the original. Particularly notable is Ron Moody's cheerfully hammy performance in the 1968 film version.

** [[spoiler:Fagin]] avoids capture and execution in the end. [[spoiler:TheArtfulDodger]] also survives.

** [[spoiler:Fagin]] avoids capture and execution in the end.

-->'''Sykes:''' ''What is it?''

** Some productions leave [[spoiler:Nancy]]'s death ambiguous, implying there's a chance [[spoiler:she]] survived.