Twist

About

Diversionary Theatre’s Twist is a darkly comic, rock-driven reimagining of Dickens’ Oliver Twist set in a fetish-tinged vision of Victorian London. Director James Vásquez balances sincerity with sly spoof, shaping a production that affectionately nods to classic musical conventions while pushing them into provocative terrain. Designers drape the stage in studs and black patent leather—costumes by Jeannie Galioto—while an onstage band performs from austere cage-like platforms. The score leans rock but blends pop, ballads, and disco textures, and the creators added new material for the San Diego run. Rather than a child, Twist is a handsome young man whose journey of survival doubles as a discovery of sexual identity. The tone is playful yet earnest, marrying camp aesthetics with a genuine, character-led story.