Questo celebre romanzo di Charles Dickens assume un duplice volto: da una parte intriso di perbenismo inglese, dall’altra attento alle falsità di una morale artefatta e ansiosa di repressione.
Le vicende raccontate sono quelle di Oliver Twist, un bambino che fin dalla più tenera età ha dovuto sopportare grandi sofferenze (parametro con la posizione di molti ragazzini nella società attuale)
La nascita, che comporta la morte della madre e impone al neonato una vita da ospite di un orfanotrofio duro e repressivo; la fanciullezza, fatta di privazioni alimentari, morali, materiali che temprano il suo spirito a danno però della necessaria felicità; gli avidi personaggi che costellano la sua giovane vita: responsabili parrocchiali avidi e iracondi,lavoratori opportunisti che vedono nel piccolo potenziale apprendista una fonte di guadagno,
ladri e furfanti di ogni risma che, accolto il ragazzino in seno alla grande metropoli londinese, non esitano, tramite sotterfugi e imposizioni, a condurlo lungo un cammino di ruberie e reati.
Questi aspetti salienti caratterizzano la vita di Oliver e forzano la sua natura, che al contrario è spontanea e generosa.
In un’ottica ottocentesca conservatrice, questo romanzo non esita ad additare con reprimende le iniquità dei “malvagi figuri”.
La sapiente penna di Dickens riesce non solo a tratteggiarci la vita e le condizioni sociali di una Londra ottocentesca ma è capace altresì di narrare fatti e situazioni con un impagabile umorismo, una vena ironica che abbraccia la storia intera.
Teatro arte ha deciso di parlare di questo interessante personaggio.
Quando “Oliver” nasce, Charles Dickens ha solo 25 anni, nel 1838. Dickens si muoveva spesso fra la gente della sua città, Londra. Egli era un grande osservatore delle condizioni sociali della sua città.
Londra, piena di bei palazzi, belle strade, teatri, uomini e donne vestiti elegantemente, ma allo stesso tempo piena di miseria e tanta gente sofferente. Questa era” la Londra” di Oliver Twist
Anteprima del copione in lingua Inglese
OLIVER (counting the shoes) …and with these ones that
makes four…I have four shoes!! My feet…ouch,
ouch….so sore….today I walked over fifteen
miles….Mr Fagin always wants so many
things…the more I bring him…the more bread he
gives me so that I can eat…otherwise…nothing!
Sometimes I don’t even eat for three days….Oh,
I’m sorry.! I have not introduced myself
I am Oliver…Oliver Twist. I was born in London,
my beautiful city. London is marvellous, but a boy
like me needs to be alert all the time…there are
lot of dangers here. Lots of dangers.
……………………………
Slowly, as if not wanting to be heard, a girl enters the scene. Her name is Sally. Sally is a beggar who often spends the night on the bench. She is looking for someone. She is not afraid of the dark. She whispers.
SALLY Oliver! Oliver! Oliver ! Pssst! Pssst ! Where are
you? Come here! I have to talk to you….
(She looks everywhere, even in the box, but can’t find him) Maybe he went to the river…yes of course!
It’s where we have our secret. I’ll go to the river!
(she leaves the scene from the opposite side while still moving slowly)
Mysterious music can be heard, during which the boy Oliver enters the scene while walking almost on his tiptoes. He wears the typical outfit of a mid nineteenth century English foundling.
OLIVER Sally! Sally! Sally! Pssst! Pssst! Where are you?
Come here! I need to talk to you.
…………………………
SALLY You are crazy! I don’t believe it. Did you steal money from a bank?
OLIVER No, no, no, better than that! Better!
SALLY Did you steal gold from Buckingham Palace?
OLIVER Better! Better!…Sally, today I found out that I have a grandpa!
Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa! The most beautiful word in the world! As beautiful as the sun, the stars and the moon. He found me!
………………………
PRINCIPAL Oliver!! Oliver!! Wash the floor! Oliver! Go to the kitchen and do the dishes! Oliver!! Go and wash all the trousers! Oliver! Clean all the windows and polish all the stairs! Did you hear me Oliver? (she starts to leave) If you don’t do what I said…no food!
OLIVER Oliver! Oliver! Oliver! And my head was exploding…But one day…(he quickly steps on the platform and mimes the action of running while remaining on the spot.
Suitable music
It was nighttime. The sky was full of stars. There was a full moon. I wanted to be free. I was sick of being mistreated. Then I heard my mother’s voice saying
……………………………
SALLY I am a thief too. That is why we are friends. We are two young thieves. We are the cleverest thieves in the world.
Right here, in this very place, is where we met. Do you remember?
OLIVER You wanted to steal my shoes while I was asleep!
Music – characters stay still for a few seconds
(Oliver lays down in the box and pretends to sleep…they re-act
the scene of their encounter. Sally gets closer, and while she is taking his shoes, he stops her with his arm)
……………………………………..
Music – darkness – Olives leaves and comes back with a sack full of…(flashback)
OLIVER With this…I am all set for one month. I will take the sack to Mr Fagin…let’s see what is inside….(he looks and makes a surprised face ) Oh no! It is not possible…(he starts to take many things out) one potato, two potatoes, three potatoes…(chanting)
One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four! Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes, more!…It is not gold, but I will be able to eat for…ten potatoes…ten days!
(The music plays and he jumps happily)
…………………………….
OLIVER like now! It was so much fun! We started to dance in…the rain (The music of “Singing in the rain” plays and the two children dance)
SALLY Oh Oliver, I love music so much. Do you know that I have an accordion? It’s a secret…
(Sally keeps it hidden under a pile of rags, on one side of the stage)
If you promise not to tell anybody, I’ll show you where it is…
OLIVER I promise…
(Slowly, slowly Sally uncovers her accordion)
SALLY It is the most precious thing I have…look how red it is. My daddy used to play it…I have learned a bit…it is the only thing I have got.
(Sally plays and Oliver dances)
OLIVER Sally…now we must go…you know that I have found my grandfather…I shall have a home and I will not have to steal anymore. He will take care of me.
(Sally is a bit sad, but she hides her sadness by playing silly)
SALLY All right! All right! I have to go too…I’m going to America! I shall find my fortune there!
…………………………..
Today, in 2022, Oliver Twist has many little brothers: we see them on television, in the newspapers, in other novels.
They are the children who are exploited, humiliated, forced to work all day in horrible environments, forced to take weapons to fight, hidden in the darkness……………………………….
………………………………………
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AtSqFfVpio&t=98s
