David Copperfield

Bristol Old Vic Theatre

Plough Arts Centre, Torrington

Review: Jo Wood

I HAVE to admit I would not often consider reading a Dickens, or a Hardy, or a Tolstoy. Who has time for that nowadays? What we need is someone to encapsulate these huge stories cleverly into a two-hour production.

Fortunately, the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School like to bring their West Country touring productions to the Plough where they have built up a reputation for consistent high quality performances.

David Copperfield was this year's offering, and it didn't disappoint. Dickens' familiar story was set mostly on the bleak Norfolk coast where the young Copperfield, enthusiastically played by Jack Holden, enjoyed an idyllic childhood with the motherly Peggotty (Dilek Sengul) and playmate Emily (Hannah Edwards).

Sails decorated with quotes from the stories Copperfield loved formed a literary backdrop; and the 'deck' stage was also covered in salt-weathered script. A few pebbles were the only concessions to the "seaside" and yet we could taste the spray and feel the sea breeze. Multifunctional wooden chairs with sloping backs were the only props. Beautiful costumes must have come from the Old Vic store.

Clever use of puppetry carried this production above the rest. Copperfield's escapist dreams were shown with shadow puppets through the backlit canvas. It was very Victorian and exactly right.

Of course, as this was Dickens, any happiness was short-lived and soon Copperfield was sent away. He endured dreadful hardship and met a mix of characters. Each of these caricatures provided a wonderful opportunity for the young actors: the unctuous Uriah Heap was disturbingly captured by Luke Newberry; Grace Carter enjoyed playing the eccentric aunt Betsey; the eternally jovial Mr Micawber was acutely played by a well-padded Bart Edwards; and John Winchester played both the simple Mr Dick and the cruel Edward Murdstone. The amount of energy they used, the different modes of physical theatre, were all fascinating.

Thus a huge novel was compressed cleverly into a two hour production which mesmerised, entertained and moved the audience in equal measure. And all without trawling through the book!