Got to pick a pocket or two ... The cast of Oliver! floods the stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane during final rehearsals. Cameron Mackintosh's production of the musical was last seen in the West End in 1994

Charles Dickens introduced the luckless Oliver Twist, an orphan who falls in with a pack of street thieves, in a serial for Bentley's Miscellany in 1837, publishing the story as a novel the following year - one of his first. He gave public readings of it until late in life

The book remains enormously popular. This Vintage Classics edition gives the cover to Bill Sykes's pet dog, Bullseye

David Lean's 1948 film version starred Alec Guinness as Fagin, the Jewish ringleader of the gang of thieves. Guinness donned an oversized prosthetic nose in the production, which was deemed antisemitic by some

A few years later, Lionel Bart gave the story a colourful makeover with his hugely popular musical treatment, Oliver! (1960), which ran for 2,618 performances. Bart poses here with street urchins during a photocall to promote a new staging a few years before his death in 1999

The 1968 film of Bart's musical picked up six Oscars and has been seen by millions worldwide. Jack Wild was nominated for his cheeky turn as the Artful Dodger

Film director Roman Polanski ditched the showtunes for his straight version of Oliver Twist, released in 2005, which starred Ben Kingsley as Fagin. The controversial director said he was keen to make a film that his children could see

Yet another Oliver Twist, this time produced by the BBC in 2007, starred Adam Arnold as the Dodger, Timothy Spall as Fagin, William Miller as Oliver, Sophie Okonedo as Nancy and Tom Hardy as Bill Sikes

And now Rowan Atkinson is taking the role of Fagin at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The show's director, Rupert Goold, told the Observer: 'I'm sure [the audience] expect him to be funny, but he's delivered something that is really complex'

Atkinson may be the celebrity draw, but Oliver! also features two new stars, chosen by the public on the TV talent show I'd Do Anything. Jodie Prenger and Laurence Jeffcoate saw off competition from thousands of others to win the parts of Nancy and Oliver respectively. (Jeffcoate is one of three Olivers appearing in the run)

Oliver! is booking at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 26 September 2009 - though tickets are already selling like hot gruel ...