GSC’s ‘unmissable’ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield is the whirlwind tale of a young man’s life from humble beginnings to literary renown; a journey of romance and adventure filled with lovable rogues, wily scoundrels and benevolent patrons.
From the same creative team behind our internationally acclaimed Pride & Prejudice comes our latest adaptation of another cherished classic novel.
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| Photo by Steve Gregson |
Three actors bring to life over 20 larger-than-life characters with ‘delightful dollops of mischief and inventive comic eccentricity’ (Guardian) in an enchanting romp that ‘sparkles with wit, charm and bonhomie’ (West End Best Friend). 'Ensemble playing doesn’t come much sharper than this' (The Times).
We sat down with Guildford Shakespeare Company co-founder Matt Pinches to learn more.
What inspired you to choose David Copperfield for your latest adaptation?
We were so blown away by the success of Pride and Prejudice that we wanted to build on that. Audiences were so delighted by the theatricality of it; the audaciousness of adapting such a complex story with 3 actors who never leave the stage, whilst at the same as remaining faithful to the original text and celebrating the author’s brilliance. Dickens’ stories have such a richness and complexity that it felt the obvious next step.
We were so blown away by the success of Pride and Prejudice that we wanted to build on that. Audiences were so delighted by the theatricality of it; the audaciousness of adapting such a complex story with 3 actors who never leave the stage, whilst at the same as remaining faithful to the original text and celebrating the author’s brilliance. Dickens’ stories have such a richness and complexity that it felt the obvious next step.
How does this production fit in with the ethos of the work GSC creates?
For the last 20 years we’ve been taking classic stories and plays, retelling them with inventive verve and energy. Dickens was a supreme storyteller and it has been our job to honour and emulate that same commitment to his narrative. The prospect of adapting a 370,000 word for 3 actors to tell in less than 120 minutes has been a joyous challenge. Audiences love the deliciousness of watching actors ‘be actors’ transforming on stage or using a hat to denote a character, becoming a donkey with boxing gloves, or simply putting a series of suitcases together to become a grand staircase; all of it inviting the audience to come with us and use their imaginations.
For the last 20 years we’ve been taking classic stories and plays, retelling them with inventive verve and energy. Dickens was a supreme storyteller and it has been our job to honour and emulate that same commitment to his narrative. The prospect of adapting a 370,000 word for 3 actors to tell in less than 120 minutes has been a joyous challenge. Audiences love the deliciousness of watching actors ‘be actors’ transforming on stage or using a hat to denote a character, becoming a donkey with boxing gloves, or simply putting a series of suitcases together to become a grand staircase; all of it inviting the audience to come with us and use their imaginations.
The creative team behind this production is also known for your acclaimed adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. How does this production compare?
The premise of 3 actors playing everyone and never leaving the stage follows the same conceit behind Pride and Prejudice, but David Copperfield is a much more complex narrative. There’s also an engrossing expansiveness to the story, encompassing the sea coast of Yarmouth, the mercantile streets of London and the countryside of Kent. We also wanted to retain the heart of the novel through David, so made the decision for that character to be played by one actor throughout (whereas the actor playing Lizzie Bennet also multi-rolled) – providing the opportunity for some wonderfully clever storytelling with the other two.
The premise of 3 actors playing everyone and never leaving the stage follows the same conceit behind Pride and Prejudice, but David Copperfield is a much more complex narrative. There’s also an engrossing expansiveness to the story, encompassing the sea coast of Yarmouth, the mercantile streets of London and the countryside of Kent. We also wanted to retain the heart of the novel through David, so made the decision for that character to be played by one actor throughout (whereas the actor playing Lizzie Bennet also multi-rolled) – providing the opportunity for some wonderfully clever storytelling with the other two.
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| Photo by Steve Gregson. |
With three actors taking on over 20 characters, what can audiences expect in terms of performance style?
It’s a non-stop adventure and moves swiftly, but as audiences and critics acknowledged you never feel cheated out of a moment and the emotional heart of Dickens story remains firmly intact. As the story is told as memory, we wanted to honour that in the staging, so all of the costumes and props come out of old suitcases and boxes – as if David is looking back through his life’s experiences as memories in an attic. For example in the childhood scenes, certain characters are larger than life – David’s tyrannical step-father Mr Murdstone is a giant faceless coat and stovepipe hat that is puppeted by one of the actors.
What makes this adaptation ‘unmissable,’ as described?
We were blown away by the response to the show’s London premier – one critic hailing it as the best Christmas show in London (The New European), and The Times listed it as one the best shows to see in the UK and London. I think what makes it unmissable is the sheer joy that it brings. Watching 3 actors perform lighting quick changes, with compassion and sensitivity; to be swept along on a wave of Victorian charm, whilst genuinely feeling the loss, fear or elation the characters face; and of course, a respectful doffing of the hat to a supreme writer.
Running from February 6th to February 28th, what’s the ideal audience experience you envision for those attending at Holy Trinity Church?
Many of Dickens stories can have the supposition that they’ll be quite bleak and unremitting in the challenges their protagonists face. However, David Copperfield offers something else. Considered by Dickens himself as his ‘favourite child’, there is a lightness to the journey we go on and a pure joy in the kaleidoscope of colourful characters that David collects through his life – many of them continuing to return later in his life. I hope that audiences discover (or rediscover) a classic they have perhaps heard of but never properly encountered , whilst revelling in the magical power that theatre has to whisk us away from the gloom of a February night.
Many of Dickens stories can have the supposition that they’ll be quite bleak and unremitting in the challenges their protagonists face. However, David Copperfield offers something else. Considered by Dickens himself as his ‘favourite child’, there is a lightness to the journey we go on and a pure joy in the kaleidoscope of colourful characters that David collects through his life – many of them continuing to return later in his life. I hope that audiences discover (or rediscover) a classic they have perhaps heard of but never properly encountered , whilst revelling in the magical power that theatre has to whisk us away from the gloom of a February night.
David Copperfield runs at Holy Trinity Church in Guildford from 6th - 28th February 2026. Tickets are available from https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/david-copperfield/
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| Photo by Steve Gregson. |
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