Oliver Twist

Filter's bold and urgent new production of Oliver Twist

Co-commissioned by Watford Palace & Co-created with director John Haidar. 

Filter reimagine Dickens’ timeless story of poverty, ingenuity and sacrifice, blending Victorian and modern London through expressionistic design and cutting-edge ambisonic sound to create an immersive, shared audience experience.

The starting point is a creative provocation: what if a group of adults in an evening class attempt to stage Oliver Twist, despite the perceived impossibility of performing it without children? Through this framing device, Filter interrogates the novel’s contradictions and enduring themes - lost childhood, social injustice, broken systems of care, racial prejudice - with urgency, humour and humanity.

This project will establish the artistic, technical and producing foundations for an accessible, sustainable and socially resonant production - one that amplifies underrepresented voices, engages young people and communities, and strengthens Filter’s long-term national reach.