Photo: Matt Lucas As 'Fagin' In OLIVER! in the West End

You can now get a first look at Matt Lucas as Fagin in his Lionel Bart's musical, Oliver! Lucas, who joins the company from this evening, is performing for 6 weeks only at the Gielgud Theatre in London, from Tuesday 22 September to Sunday 1 November 2026.

On Sunday 20 September, Simon Lipkin and the cast of Oliver! performed “You've Got to a Pick-a-Pocket or Two”, introduced by Matt Lucas, at Magic at the Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall. Tune in to Magic Radio from 5pm this Sunday 27 September to hear the full show.

Actor, author, comedian, presenter, and writer Matt Lucas most recently played the role of Thénardier to great acclaim in the all-star production of Les Misérables: The Arena Concert Spectacular in many cities across the globe, as well as performing in the 40th Anniversary celebrations of the London production.

Matt Lucas is one of the most recognisable personalities in British television. He first came to prominence as George Dawes in the seminal comedy panel show Shooting Stars but is perhaps best known for co-creating the three-time BAFTA-winning BBC comedy Little Britain.

Simon Lipkin, who was nominated for an Olivier Award for reinventing the role of Fagin in this celebrated new production of Oliver!, is currently on paternity leave and will return to the role of Fagin on Tuesday 3 November. The role of Oliver Twist is played by Cian Bhalla, Isaac Hackett, James Miller and Thomas Newman.

Lionel Bart's musical masterpiece, freely adapted from Charles Dickens' novel, Oliver! tells the story of the orphaned Oliver Twist, who escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London's murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind-hearted Nancy and when he's wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp?

With 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, As Long As He Needs Me and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens' ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.