Great Expectations

Great Expectations is one of Charles Dickens’ greatest novels and is very well-known, needing no introduction. Apart from being frequently chosen for exam syllabuses, there have been a number of film versions, the two most notable perhaps David Lean’s in 1946, and Mike Newell’s in 2012. 

Peaslake’s version was adapted for the stage by Jo Clifford and offered a very different interpretation, while sticking to the familiar storyline. The outstanding script was cleverly written and wove its way through the complicated tale with an innovative interpretation of the original story. Director Nick Boisseau’s notes in the programme made my life a lot easier by explaining that this was essentially a memory play, conjured up in the adult Pip’s imagination and performed mostly as flashbacks. I hope he will forgive me for making use of the words in his excellent introduction!

Because of the alignment of the stage with the seating area along the “long” side, as the result of major structural changes undertaken in the 1970s, there is an air of spaciousness in the Hall with plenty of room on one side for the bar. An unusual addition to the bar this year was the sale of gin and tonic from the Copperfield distillery! One enormous challenge facing the cast was the fact that Peaslake Memorial Hall is in the throes of a huge renovation programme which meant that the changing rooms were out of action and they had to use the Church Hall across the road. What a relief that the weather was kind! This also affected the set design and use of props, which were all kept to a minimum. The space behind the stage was always very restricted so the finished result will be eagerly anticipated. As there was no access to the back of the stage, the performers came through the auditorium at the start of
each Act and throughout the play. I can just imagine them waiting patiently in the cramped conditions at the back of the stage for their various entrances.

The set was necessarily simple – a raised “table” in the centre with the large wedding cake in a prominent position. The changes of venue – Satis House, the graveyard, the  blacksmith’s, London rooms and offices – were seamlessly conveyed and easily imagined with the help of effective lighting. The staging was extended by a good few feet to allow for a larger acting area. The sound of birdsong in the background when Pip and Biddy were together in Act I and the howling wind in Act II when Madgwick reappears were unobtrusive and effective. Authentic costumes added to the atmosphere. Herbert Pockett’s colourful outfit complemented his character and added a touch of humour. The play opens in Satis House, home of Miss Havisham, which remains as the background to all the events. Pip, Ben Hilton, and Estella, Claire Williams, have returned there as adults and the rest of the
play is in flashbacks from their youth: Pip’s childhood with his Blacksmith brother, his encounter with Madgwick, introduction to and infatuation with Stella, and then his transition to a wealthy young Dandy in London. The abandoned wedding cake on the table at the House is always present in Pip’s dream and the ensuing action takes place around it.

Young Pip, Jess Kilfeather, and Young Estella, Mercy Marshall, were excellently matched – Pip shy and anxious to please but with a determined spirit underneath his timid exterior; and Estella haughty and condescending, clearly under the thumb of Miss Havisham, Tricia Monk, who obviously delighted in moulding her into the bitter old woman she had become, having been abandoned on her wedding day by her erstwhile suitor. Paul Elliott, Magwitch, was superbly convincing as the menacing convict. I feared for Young Pip’s safety on stage when being threatened! Bobby Knott was endearing and sympathetic as Joe Gargery, Pip’s brother, constantly bullied and abused by his vitriolic wife Mrs Joe, Sarah Knott, who laid into him – and Pip – unmercifully with her leather belt, known as ‘tickler’, while having a conspicuous affair with the objectionable Mr Wopsle, Adrian O’Loughlin, a nasty piece of work who delighted in pocketing Pip’s money. Joe showed genuine sadness when she was murdered.

The casting was superb, both the principals and the supporting characters. Ben Hilton, ambitious and successful, yearning for Estella, and Claire Williams, cold and heartless, never able to forget or forgive Pip’s humble background, were never destined to be together. Objectionable Jaggers, Mike Sutton; unctuous and oily Herbert Pocket, Felix Cuthbert; flirtatious Biddy, Maxine Fox. They were each made for their roles and it’s unfair to single out any particular one. Poor Pip, thwarted in his hope to find happiness with Biddy and losing his friend and benefactor Madgwick, was the one who lost out in the end.

This was an ambitious play to choose in any circumstances and congratulations to Director Nick Boisseau for a truly imaginative and successful production, coping with the huge restrictions imposed by the work going on around them in the Hall. Peaslake Players never disappoint and this was no exception. Well done!

 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.