Oliver’s closest family are the workhouse board, and their plans for Oliver’s future does not stretch much beyond starving him to death with pitiful rations of gruel. But Oliver’s a fighter, and after a courageous rebellion when he dares to ask for more, Oliver is cast out and forced to make his own way in the world. On arriving in London, he meets The Artful Dodger, and is drawn into the dark and murky underworld of Fagin and his gang. Thrilling adventures involving the brutal Sikes, his beautiful Nancy, and the mysterious Mr Monks bring Oliver perilously close to death but hope appears in the form of Mr Brownlow, a generous benefactor with links to Oliver’s past.