It brilliantly parallels the two stories each character is clearly a recreation of an iconic character from Oliver Twist. The play rewrites Oliver Twist, retelling the story in a contemporary, urban setting. Shona recognises the similarity between Oliver and herself, comparing people in her life to characters from the novel (Cavani is Nancy) and even envisioning characters coming to life – like a psychological horror – whilst insisting that she is not Oliver Twist. Her sympathetic English teacher, Miss Cavani (Rosie Hilal), who has seen innocent but impressionable children corrupted, attempts to use Oliver Twist to help Shona understand the situation she is in – and how to get out of it. Shona’s life is a reflection of Oliver’s. Shona soon gets into the wrong crowd and discovers easy ways of making money – albeit, illegally – much to the chagrin of her father and the concern of her grandmother, who does not want her granddaughter to take after her. Shona joins a new school, and her English class is studying Oliver Twist (as if her life was not already hard enough, but hey, at least it’s not Shakespeare). Her maternal grandmother (Polly Lister, who also plays Aunt Lorraine), who is involved in some dodgy business, has fallen ill – much like Shona’s dearly departed mother. She and her father (Thomas Vernal), who recently lost his job, have been moving from place to place and living on chips. Unexpected Twist follows a teenage girl called Shona (Drew Hylton), who recently lost her mother.
It is a radical retelling of Oliver Twist – but, even more radically, it combines two stories in one: Rosen’s story and the Dickens classic that inspired it “twist together, unexpectedly!” Unexpected Twist is, of course, based on the children’s book of the same name by Michael Rosen, one of the most renowned children’s authors in history. Oliver Twist will continue to be studied by school kids for eons – because British education only seems to value the works of dead White men – but for it to be enjoyed by kids, it needs a make-over – and what better way to bring it into the 21st century than by turning it into a hip-hop musical?! Whilst it was fresh at the time, countless authors and artists have told similar tales and explored similar themes. It will be read forever because it’s a good story and its themes remain relevant, but it’s so overdone. Oliver Twist is one of those classics that is timeless but tired.
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