Josh Epstein returns to Gateway Theatre to direct Oliver! after starring in musical as a young actor
Timeless adaptation of Charles Dickens novel follows a young orphan who dreams of finding a family
Lucas Gregory (left) and Rickie Wang in Oliver!. Photo by David Cooper
Josh Epstein. Photo by The Portrait Sessions
Gateway Theatre presents Lionel Bart’s Oliver! from December 12 to January 4
WHEN JOSH EPSTEIN was a kid, he starred in Gateway Theatre’s 1992 production of Oliver! as Charley Bates, a good-humoured young pickpocket. In a full-circle moment, the acclaimed Canadian theatre artist is now returning to Gateway as director of the very same musical for the company’s 40th-anniversary season.
“I think Gateway was a big part of my growth as an artist,” Epstein tells Stir. “I used to do their musicals almost every winter growing up, and I really enjoyed it. It was kind of my escape from regular life to get to go and do these big musicals. I just remember having a great time, you know, and having a ton of energy. And I think for me as a kid, to be able to have an outlet for that energy in musical theatre was very important.
“But for Oliver! in particular, it was my bar mitzvah year,” he adds later with a laugh. “So I had to miss a couple of shows for it.”
Adapted from Charles Dickens’s 1838 classic Oliver Twist, with book, music, and lyrics by Lionel Bart, Oliver! is running on the Main Stage at Gateway Theatre throughout the holiday season from December 12 to January 4. There will be a special New Year’s Eve toast after the evening show on December 31, complete with Champagne and sparkling apple juice on the house.
Set in gritty 19th-century London, the beloved musical tells the story of a young orphan named Oliver who escapes an apprenticeship with a cruel undertaker and joins a band of pickpockets led by master thief Fagin. One day, Oliver is accused of robbing a man named Mr. Brownlow, who shows the boy some compassion by taking him under his wing instead of punishing him. But Fagin and the gang now have it out for Oliver—who they believe will rat out their operation—and he soon finds himself in an even stickier situation that could upend his goal of joining a loving family.
Oliver’s search for that sense of connection and security is a big theme in the play, notes Epstein. The director is cultivating a similar vibe of family camaraderie on set with the cast of 24 actors (which includes 11 youth). Among them is Rickie Wang, who plays the titular character. The established young actor’s Arts Club Theatre Company credits span Elf: The Musical, The Sound of Music, and Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, and he’s also set to star in season two of Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix.
“I’m hopeful that the teenagers in the show have a good time, because that’s really what’s important for their growth,” Epstein says. “They’ll continue on in the business if they love it, and if it’s not for them, then I think it’s a good experience to be part of a collective or group. On the first day, I talked about associating Fagin’s gang with themselves: they’re all growing up together, and they need to look out for every single person in the gang, on stage and off stage.”
The production features choreography by Nicol Spinola and musical direction by Sean Bayntun. Together, they’ll lead the actors through catchy tunes including “Food, Glorious Food” and “Consider Yourself”, along with more heartfelt confessional numbers like “Where Is Love?” and “Reviewing the Situation”.
Epstein notes that Oliver! does a nice job of balancing funny scenes with intense and intimate moments, calling it “one of those shows that’s just stood the test of time”. His upcoming take on the production at Gateway will feature a couple of fresh elements compared to the version he performed back in the ’90s, including an ambitious set design by Ryan Cormack that transforms Victorian London into a big wrought-iron playground.
“This musical has everything,” Epstein says. “It’s got singing, dancing, and really, really strong acting. Then, at the end of the day, it’s about these characters’ vulnerability, and finding their home and their safety. All of them are trying to fight their way up to achieve that—and I think that’s going to resonate even with today’s audiences.” 
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