Fagin’s Twist

Fagin’s Twist is the untold story of a notorious and complex villain. It imagines Fagin’s youth, driven by greed and ambition in the face of overwhelming poverty. The streets are a place of little comfort and fairy-tale endings are hard to find in this poignant coming-of-age dance theatre.

See Dickens’ Oliver Twist in a new light as Tony Adigun’s Avant Garde Dance flips your expectations of five familiar characters, with their unmatched hip hop contemporary style.

Client: Avant Garde Dance & The Place
Services: Choreography, Creative Direction
Premiere: 2016
Running Time: 1 hr 45 min
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Project Brief

Fagin’s Twist offers a daring and innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, focusing on the untold story of the infamous villain, Fagin. Directed and choreographed by Tony Adigun, the piece explores Fagin’s complex youth, driven by ambition, greed, and survival in a harsh, unforgiving world. Set in the gritty streets of Victorian London, the production contrasts the harsh realities of poverty with the fiery drive to overcome it.

Presented by Avant Garde Dance, this dance theatre piece integrates dynamic hip hop and contemporary choreography to flip the expectations of five iconic characters, bringing them to life in a bold new light. The show unfolds as a coming-of-age narrative, emphasizing Fagin’s moral struggles while challenging the audience to reconsider their preconceptions about good and evil.

With its striking blend of movement and narrative, Fagin’s Twist offers an emotionally charged, high-energy performance that captivates and resonates. Featuring an original score from contemporary composers, the show is a visual and auditory spectacle, exploring themes of identity, ambition, and the search for belonging. Commissioned and co-produced by multiple arts organizations, Fagin’s Twist is supported by public funding from Arts Council England, and its dynamic cast delivers a truly memorable experience.

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Reviews

“Fagin’s Twist, is a daring, dynamic and hugely enjoyable rethink of a much loved Victorian tale.”

Debra Caine
Debra Caine THE TIMES

“Adigun’s slick and compact choreography is a dominating factor, establishing character and relationships, and pulsating with momentum and musicality”

graham-watts
Graham Watts DANCE CRITIC

“Street dance might seem an odd style for a Dickensian tale, but in choreographer Tony Adigun’s imaginative if flawed version of Oliver Twist”

Sanjoy-Roy
Sanjoy Roy THE GUARDIAN

“High energy, precision crafted choreography creates a dark twist on a classic tale”

Rachel Elderkin
Rachel Elderkin The Stage

“He has a knack for making a small ensemble seem three times the size, flooding the stage with movement.”

Louise Levene
Louise Levene FINANCIAL TIMES

“…a confident piece of dance-theatre…”

Lyndsey Winship
Lyndsey Winship EVENING STANDARD

“Fagin’s Twist is a fascinating and original piece of dance theatre, anchored by a seamless blend of dance languages. It has its longueurs, but is nevertheless well worth 90 minutes of your life!”

Teresa Guerreiro
Teresa Guerreiro CULTURE WHISPER

Performance

Credits

Director/ Choreographer: Tony Adigun
Co-Producers: The Place
Dramaturg: Adam Peck
Text: Maxwell Golden
Designer: Yann Seabra
Lighting: Jackie Shemesh
Music: Asymbiose; Ólafur Arnalds; Benji Bower; The Haxan Cloak; Corben Dallas; Fraser Freeze; Brian Hargreaves; Seymour Milton; Jay North; Valgeir Sigurðsson; Tismé; Mika Vainio
Cast: Stefano Addae; Sia Gbamoi; Arran Green; Aaron Nuttall; Ellis Saul; Sasha Shahid; Emma- Louise Stansall
Rehearsal Director: Julie Ann Minaai
Production Manager & Re-Lighter: Ashley Bolitho
Technical Stage Manager: Huw Williams
Fagin’s Twist is commissioned by Theatre Bristol, East London Dance, Pavilion Dance South West, DanceEast and The Place, and co-produced by The Place. Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Supported by ResCen Research Centre, Middlesex University.