After a hard day's labor in a parish workhouse for children, a nine-year-old orphan named Oliver asks for a second serving of gruel. Annoyed by the child's impertinence, his caretakers sell the boy into an apprenticeship with a drunken undertaker and his abusive wife. Fearful for his life, the boy escapes to London to make his fortune. Upon arrival, the boy falls in with the Artful Dodger and a band of juvenile pickpockets led by the criminal Fagin. Oliver discovers heroes and villains in all manner of strange places as he learns how to survive and thrive on the streets of London. Including favorite songs "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself," "Pick a Pocket or Two," Lionel Bart's adaptation of Charles Dickens' social satire of 19th century London remains a cherished musical for all ages.