Unexpected Twist – Royal & Derngate, Northampton

Drew Hylton, Rosie Hilal (back of photo James Meteyard, Liyah Summers and Polly Lister) in Unexpected Twist at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton. Picture: Manuel Harlan

Unexpected Twist continues at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton until 25 February and then tours until 10 June 2023.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Aptly ‘twisting’ the story of Oliver Twist into a modern day school setting, Unexpected Twist focuses on Shona, the new girl in school who is used to moving around frequently with her dad as he struggles to pay rent and make ends meet. Enticed with the gift of a mobile phone – something she’s never had before – Shona falls in with the wrong crowd and finds aspects of her story playing out in a very similar way to Oliver Twist, the novel her class are studying in school.

Originally written by award-winning author Michael Rosen and adapted for this production by Roy Williams, with the addition of songs by Yaya Bey and Conrad Murray, Unexpected Twist is a clever interpretation of the classic tale. Illustrating how some patterns in society are more timeless than the Dickensian language in which they were initially portrayed, and drawing parallels between the troubles of Victorian children and modern day teens, the team behind this production succeeds in appealing as much to the children in the audience as their parents.

The show juxtaposes Dickensian language and costuming for the Victorian presences who appear throughout, with a cast of supremely talented beatboxers and rappers. At times, however, it feels as though the lyrics could be more sophisticated to match the poignancy of the moment. Repetition of “It’s my time to shine, now I’ve got a phone” amidst a pained backstory of a deceased mother and unstable childhood, for example, slightly falls short of supporting what could have been beautifully depicted key emotional highlights of both the olden day and modern narratives.

Parts of the script are occasionally similarly incongruous with the setting and a little too brick-to-forehead, like Shona asking gang leader ‘Pops’ out of the blue why he is behaving like Bill Sykes. However, most of the production does blend the two stories together well and transitions fluidly between the modern characters and Victorian apparitions, emphasising some interesting crossovers between the two.

Drew Hylton has an exceptional singing voice and portrays well the teenage angst of the main character Shona, supported by a very versatile company including Kate Donnachie, Alex Hardie, Nadine Rose Johnson, Alexander Lobo Moreno and Liyah Summers primarily as Shona’s classmates but also the appearances of Dickensian spirits. Choreography by Arielle Smith and lighting design by Rory Beaton both perfectly complement the story arc without overshadowing, adding both depth and atmosphere to the production.

Overall a very perceptive and interestingly presented story – both in terms of writing and production – with well-timed comedic relief alongside some thought-provoking similarities between the two stories of the ‘Twist’.

Sorcha Exworthy