"I think Oliver has a lot of spirit. He's very tough on the inside, because he can cope with all the horrible things that happen to him. He's also very trusting of other people and doesn't see the bad side of people until they betray him - like Fagin.

"In those days, every day was a struggle for a boy like Oliver; in the workhouse the boys were starving and many of them broke down or died. But not Oliver.

"The best thing for me about the job was making new friends and seeing how professional actors work. I learnt a lot. There was one scene I didn't like very much, where Bill Sikes holds a gun at Oliver. It was quite frightening, and there were real tears running down my face. But everybody gave me a big hug after the scene and told me how well I had done, so I felt fine."