As the lights go down Katy Owen and James Peake burst into the theatre, raucous late-comers, with suitcases in hand, loud and full of energy. They join the audience, grabbing a seat in the front row to watch the show before they impatiently jump onstage, joining the live pianist and performing the show themselves.
This cleverly adapted and lively new production of Charles Dickens’s famous David Copperfield is filled with laughs, madness, and exuberance with a sea-side pantomime-like style. It’s filled with everything from trombone playing, to acrobatics, kite flying, and dancing – so expect the unexpected!
The story follows David Copperfield‘s extraordinary life and the outlandish characters he encounters. We see the development from boy to man – his experience through friendships, romance, education, work, and self-discovery.
Peake’s, flamboyant, larger-than-life, comic characters, were most definitely a standout tour de force, keeping the energy high. His complex characters tumble onto the stage, chasing the action, proving a laugh a minute!
Peake and Owen play 30 different characters between them, completely committed, playing numerous roles within a scene, changing by the millisecond – ‘Audience -Keep up!‘. The gender-bending Peake’s ‘Peggotty’ and ‘Aunt Betsy’ are full of feminine charm and tenderness, whilst Owen’s starlike ‘Steerforth’ and the wheezing grotesque ‘Uriah Heap’ really keep the audience engaged.
From the second Christopher Buckley emerges unexpectedly from his cramped suitcase he connected to the audience with his skilful storytelling and his warm persona taking us on a wild, chaotic journey through his turbulent life, full of the most extraordinary characters. He performs with a child-like innocence, from the moment he was born (playing the baby himself!) to a happily married man.
Beth Colley’s sets were made up of a magician-like toy-box design surrounded by red velvet curtains which highlights the playful nature of the production like a Punch and Judy show. Painted fish and kites add to the fantasy, and suitcases are scattered over the stage, creating a voyage-like style.
This is hugely challenging story to construct as it’s extremely convoluted (in typical Dickensian style), due to being written in episodes for serialisation, it is expertly directed by Emily Raymond. The agonising start to David’s life with the death of his mother, working in factories, gruelling boarding school days and then left in poverty was effectively transformed into light entertainment.
The scenes and character changes are seamless but the fast pace sometimes makes it haphazard, and often challenges the audience to keep up as they were lost in the chaos. Parts of this production are genuinely hilarious however some are rather repetitive.
This production is perfect for anyone who enjoys slapstick, music hall, ballad-like comedy and wit, with out-of-this-world characters.
{🎟 AD: PR Invite – Tickets gifted in exchange for an honest review}
2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 2024 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interview Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Regional Production Review Revival Richmond Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End
- SONG OF SONGS – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE
Advertisements The Biblical book Song of Songs stands out; unashamedly erotic, for women as well as men, it has long been a subject of controversy, and it is this book that writer, director and lead performer Ofra Daniel takes as the subject of her musical. First performed in Daniel’s home of San Francisco in 2017, this run at the Park Theatre marks the musical’s first visit to London. It is difficult not to be thrilled by the world presented in A Song of Songs. The soundscape is one of klezmer music and infectious rhythms, composed by Daniel and Lior Ben-Hur with collaborators Ali … More SONG OF SONGS – REVIEW – PARK THEATRE - SLEUTH – REVIEW – RICHMOND THEATRE
Advertisements Who’s afraid of Stephen Sondheim? I certainly would have been, having seen this show. Playwright Anthony Shaffer’s original title, an homage to the Broadway composer and puzzle obsessive, was changed to Sleuth before the play’s 1970 premiere, whereupon it won the Tony for best play, and has since been adapted for screen by both Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Harold Pinter. It is certainly an auspicious beginning, and it is a delight to see that fifty years on, this clever play can still stay a step ahead of its audience. The play opens with Andrew (Todd Boyce), a writer of detective fiction, … More SLEUTH – REVIEW – RICHMOND THEATRE - JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE
Advertisements Jesus Christ Superstar reimagines the biblical story of Jesus’ last days through a contemporary lens, portraying him as a rockstar figure navigating betrayal, redemption, and finally crucifixion. At the New Wimbledon Theatre, this iconic musical comes to life with electrifying energy and innovative staging. Fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the dynamic duo of England’s musical theatre scene, will recognise the typical elements of their work; and they are as electrifying as ever. The rock score is performed by a mainly hidden live band, filling the theatre with a pulsating sound. The observant audience member can spot the … More JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – REVIEW – NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE - SPIRITED AWAY – REVIEW – LONDON COLISEUM
Advertisements Spirited Away premiered in Tokyo in February 2022 and is now having its European premiere at the London Coliseum. Hitting theatreland following the success of the RSC’s adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, which is transferring to the West End next year. Based on the 2001 anime film, Spirited Away centres around Chihiro a young girl, who inadvertently winds up in a world ruled by witches and spirits – with her parents turned into pigs. What follows is her quest to save her parents and return to the real world. The highlight of this production is the creative elements; the set, designed by Jon Bausor is vast, imaginative, and transportive, … More SPIRITED AWAY – REVIEW – LONDON COLISEUM - THE ACCOUNTANTS – REVIEW – AVIVA STUDIOS
Advertisements The Accountants is a multimedia stage spectacle, melding dance and modern communication. It premieres at Aviva Studios and is the UK debut performance for the Terrence Lewis Contemporary Dance Company and Xiexin Dance Theatre. Liam (Josh Hart) is trying to find himself while travelling Asia, keeping in contact with his favourite ‘auntie’ Kash (Shobna Gulati). Using Kash’s wisdom to guide him around India and China, Liam tries to understand his own identity as an Asian person while watching the accountants in his head dance. After I picked my ticket up from the box office, I was collared by a … More THE ACCOUNTANTS – REVIEW – AVIVA STUDIOS
