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Focus on the FamilyFocus on the Family / 2012 / Compact discOur Price$31.495.0 out of 5 stars for Radio Theatre: Oliver Twist. View reviews of this product. 22 Reviews
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FayeAge: 25-34Gender: Female5 Stars Out Of 5Loved it!May 6, 2013FayeAge: 25-34Gender: FemaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5An excellent production of one of Dicken's best known tales!
Oliver is a poor orphan, who falls on misfortune, but brings light to every situation. Will Oliver ever find a family to call his own?
A full cast brings the world of Oliver Twist to life in a evocative radio drama! Focus on the Family has a way of bringing out the heart of the story in a way that no other production has done thus far.
The full cast does a terrific job of bring the characters to life, along with the realistic sound effects. This is the kind of tale production that can be enjoyed by the whole family, though I will briefly mention that as this was Oliver Twist there were brief drinking references and violence. I would probably recommend this one for ages 8 & Up.
Overall, this was a thrilling experience that kept me up late listening because I wanted to hear the outcome. I will certainly be listening to this drama many times over in the years to come, because it was such a well-done rendering of this well known tale. I would highly recommend this excellent production of Oliver Twist! (It would make a terrific gift!)
I received this product from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! -
Heather KingGloucester, VAAge: 25-34Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Dickens, Beautifully Adapted for the RadioDecember 11, 2012Heather KingGloucester, VAAge: 25-34Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5As a long-time fan of the Focus on the Family radio series, Adventures in Odyssey, I had high expectations for their radio theatre production of Charles Dickens's classic,Oliver Twist (Radio Theatre). They did more than meet my expectations; they surely exceeded them. I am hard to please when it comes to adaptations of literature and as a former British literature teacher and a lover of Dickens's work, I could be particularly critical of an attempt to capture the story of Oliver Twist.
This production, however, is wonderfully engaging, dramatically intense, and so very true to the book itself. Included in this set are 5 audio CDs with about 5-1/2 hours of material, covering what I'm told is more content from the book than most productions include.
A bonus DVD is also included with a look at behind-the-scenes footage and commentary and information on the current foster care system. This wonderfully connects the issues of poverty, social justice and orphan care to our modern unsolved problems. It is so very like Dickens to use story to raise awareness, perhaps even outrage, and to destroy our apathetic blindness to the needs around us.
Many of the actors in this production will have voices familiar to British film and television fans, including actors from Masterpiece Classics and mysteries and some of the British comedies we Americans might catch now on PBS. The acting is superb, the voices wonderfully full of character. This is extraordinarily necessary when performed on radio as Dickens notoriously includes so many characters in his books that it can be hard to remember them all. But with such talented actors, it was easy to recognize the characters along the way and follow every bit of the conversation and action.
Although the length of the CDs might preclude it from much classroom use, it's a beautiful resource for families, radio theatre lovers, Dickens devotees, homeschoolers and more. It is, however, intense. The story is not explicit, per se, and never inappropriate, but it does encompass child abuse, domestic violence, murder, suicide, and child trafficking. Because my daughters (age 8 and younger) are extremely sensitive, I opted to listen to the CDs myself. This, however, would certainly be a parental choice based on knowledge of your own children.
In addition to all of the entertainment and educational value offered in this set, I am excited that Focus on the Family is using proceeds from the program for its "Wait No More" adoption campaign, focusing on domestic adoption of children out of the American foster care system. Given Dickens's sense of social justice, this seems particularly fitting.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." -
CharEdmonton Alberta CanadaAge: 35-44Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Fantastic, well done, moving and entertaining!February 11, 2013CharEdmonton Alberta CanadaAge: 35-44Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5Loved it - can't wait to listen again. So well produced - a wonderful treasure! I highly recommed this!!
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thearmychapswifeElkhart, INAge: 35-44Gender: female5 Stars Out Of 5Excellent ProductionDecember 14, 2012thearmychapswifeElkhart, INAge: 35-44Gender: femaleQuality: 5Value: 5Meets Expectations: 5I was not sure how I would like "listening" to a book rather than reading it. However, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Oliver Twist!
This radio theatre version is so well done. I listened to it throughout the day as I was involved in non-reading activities (like housework!) and found it hard to tear myself away. I knew the basics of the story already, but Focus on the Family Radio Theatre brought the story to life in a dramatic and excellent way. I would heartily recommend this! -
LeeLeeBird5 Stars Out Of 5Great classicJune 5, 2017LeeLeeBirdQuality: 0Value: 0Meets Expectations: 0Well done. Variety of characters/voices. This can introduce classics to younger audience, although Oliver goes through (historically accurate) very tough times, and there are some moments of violence with which very young children might have a hard time.
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