A timeless classic, I had high hopes for South Hill Park's production of Oliver! and I wasn't disappointed. 

With a play that renowned, it can be a tough feat for a theatre company to put its own take on the performance and entertain the crowds, but the cast - made up of amateur, homegrown talent - did not fail to deliver.

Charming and amusing right from the get-go, with a rousing rendition of Food Glorious Food! as the play opened up in the workhouse, I knew I was in for a treat.

Little George Oakley, who played the lead role of wretched half-starved orphan Oliver, was a natural, with bags of energy and charisma, instantly endearing himself to the audience.

You can't help but feel sorry for poor little Oliver when he does the unthinkable and asks for more gruel and his courageous efforts are dashed by cruel and greedy caretakers Mr Bumble and Widow Corney - themselves a hilarious pair, brilliantly portrayed by Simon Longhurst and Lisa Renals.

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The villainous undertakers Mr and Mrs Sowerberry, played by Quiller Rees and Cat Owens, do a great job of laying bare the true grittiness of the tale as does the slimy Noah Claypole, played by Simon Shaw, who insults Oliver's dead mother.

As Oliver launches at Noah like a snappy terrier, much to the horror of Mrs Sowerberry and the maid Charlotte (also Noah's girlfriend) the entire scene descended into madness, culminating in a unrelenting Oliver trapped in a coffin, leaving the audience in stitches. 

The cheeky roguish pickpocket Artful Dodger, is earnestly played by young Andrew Morley, who effortlessly pulls off Dodger's laid-back charm despite a technical malfunction meaning his microphone was not working for his first appearance.

The comical Fagin, Julian Hirst, takes the crowd on a whirlwind tour of a life of crime and is much more lovable than evil. 

The ensemble and junior chorus, made of enthusiastic youngsters involved in South Hill Park's Easter theatre school, are equally deserving of praise.

But in my eyes, the real star of the show was the young Lucy Smith, in the role of the ill-fated Nancy, whose performance is captivating. 

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With a big powerful voice she has no trouble belting out a loud rendition of Oom Pah Pah but is also comfortable with the softer more delicate As Longs As He Needs Me, a testament to her talent. 

She cleverly plays the part of the brash and vulgar Nancy, who once you peel back the layers is nothing more than a wreck, whose raw vulnerability at the hands of the frightening Bill Sikes, played by Stuart Hayllor, is heart-wrenching.

The cast are fantastic and what's even more fantastic is to see true homegrown talent championed onstage. 

Oliver! ran from Wednesday, April 6 until Sunday April 10. 

For more shows at South Hill Park visit their website: www.southhillpark.org.uk