DAVID COPPERFIELD

Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★★

“It all builds to a delightfully satisfying panto-esque cacophony of characters”

With only three actors on a tiny (but intricate) set, Abigail Pickard Price’s magical adaptation of David Copperfield somehow brings an entire Dickensian universe to life, deliciously populated with a stream of vibrant characters, the requisite plot twists, and an attention to detail that would make Charles Dickens proud.

As a young David Copperfield (Eddy Payne) flees his stern and violent stepfather to seek his way in the world, Neil Irish’s masterfully evocative set and costumes bring us inside law offices, outside onto small village streets, and even into the sea and along its rocky shore with no more than a cleverly placed piece of fabric here, or a stackable trunk there. Together with the soundscape (Matt Eaton), lighting (Mark Dymock), and movement direction, the overall design seamlessly journeys from place to place and character to character. Each scene change is more creative and surprising than the next – and yet never distracts from the story’s momentum.

The acting is exemplary – every character is finely drawn and a tribute to Dickens’ imagination and keen observations of human nature. Louise Beresford morphs from cunning villain to cocky scoundrel to radiant love interest without a glitch. Luke Barton brings utterly absorbing heart and individuality to each of his nine characters. The verbosity and geniality of his Mr. Micawber in particular is a tour-de-force in itself. The dizzying spin of characters is anchored by Payne’s earnest and endearing David Copperfield.

Amy Lawrence’s movement direction is outstanding: whether leaping from boulder to boulder or riding in a carriage or – most impressively, being beaten by the fearsome Mr. Murdstone (who is hauntingly represented by a large brown top hat and empty coat) – the movement is so precise and believable that the audience becomes willing conspirators with the ensemble, suspending our disbelief and diving headfirst into this brightly painted world. What must have taken hours of disciplined rehearsal looks effortless and fun to us.

It all builds to a delightfully satisfying panto-esque cacophony of characters represented by hats and puppets and actors alike, made possible by the extremely well-oiled transitions these gifted actors have perfected.

To condense a Dickens novel of epic proportions into a two hour play on a miniscule stage is no small feat, and this production is anything but small. In her adaptation, Pickard Price expertly selects the most salient of the many details the book offers, and as a director, she squeezes every juicy morsel out of her talented team to create something that is bursting with fun and colour. Go see it. It is the perfect antidote to the long grey winter that is upon us.

DAVID COPPERFIELD

Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 25th November 2025

by Samantha Karr

Photography by Steve Gregson

Previously reviewed at this venue:

RAGDOLL | ★★★★ | October 2025

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN | ★★★★★ | July 2025

LITTLE BROTHER | ★★★ | May 2025

OUTLYING ISLANDS | ★★★★ | February 2025

THE MAIDS | ★★★ | January 2025

DAVID COPPERFIELD

★★★

“It all makes for a lively atmosphere, with a cast who seem to be having the time of their lives”

For the uninitiated, it’s worth swotting up before a visit to Fanatical. It deals tenderly with the worlds of cosplay, fandom and sci-fi; come prepared with your Lord of the Rings and Star Wars references brushed up. Be in no doubt: what you sign up for here is a heartfelt love letter to sci-fi and fandoms everywhere.

Fanatical is a musical set amidst the high pressure, high excitement atmosphere of a convention of sci-fi enthusiasts – in this case, ardent supporters of the (fictional, but incredibly fully-realised) world of space comic Angel 8. We too are immersed, brought along as newly adopted fans; gorgeously detailed comic art and digital projections of a really remarkable quality sweep us into the narrative.

A comic convention may seem an odd setting for a musical, but this high-energy cast make it all make sense. So high energy in fact that at times, in the relatively small confines of Latimer Road’s Playground Theatre, the volume and sheer vigour of the music felt somewhat overpowering. Audiences should be prepared for the double earnestness of musical theatre and cosplay (a fan-driven world where enthusiasts craft their own costumes) – indeed, kudos goes to those audience members in their own space-themed outfits.

It all makes for a lively atmosphere, with a cast who seem to be having the time of their lives. Especial note must go to Suanne Braun as Trix, who acts as a linchpin in both character and performance. Her laugh-out-loud rendition of ‘Any Moment Now’ was without question the highlight of the night, as Trix attempts seduction with Miranda-esque levels of awkwardness.

Writers Matt Board and Reina Hardy say in the programme that this show has been a long time in the making. It’s clear, with the attention to detail (our comic characters have animated avatars, theme music, life stories), that Fanatical is the result of a labour of love. Perhaps that love may have added to the occasional loss of discernment. The musical could be shorter and some songs, inevitably, are weaker. Overall there is certainly more filler than killer. Coming Up Next and Self-Aware are some of the toe-tappers, with the latter seeing Tim Rogers as Craig going in for some snarling judgement of the geeks. Similarly the lyrics to the excellent Nobody’s Watching, spat out with relish by Stephen Frost as frustrated writer Scott Furnish, are great fun. As ever, the bad guys get the best songs.

With less accomplished performers, this show might just tip into being an evening of self-indulgent geekery. Strong vocal and acting performances avoid this, and the cast’s abundant enthusiasm carries its audience irresistibly along.

Reviewed by Abi Davies

Photography by Scott Rylander

Tag Archives: Eddy Payne

DAVID COPPERFIELD

★★★★★

Jermyn Street Theatre

DAVID COPPERFIELD

Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★★

“It all builds to a delightfully satisfying panto-esque cacophony of characters”