★★★★★

“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.

DIAGNOSIS

Finborough Theatre

★★★½

“an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances”

The 16th of May 2035. 3:37am. A woman has been arrested and brought in for questioning regarding an assault on a man in a bar on Villiers Street in central London, but it is very quickly apparent that this is not a normal interview. Firstly, she does not deny the assault. However, what makes the interview more unusual is that the woman is disabled and is consistently referred to as a ‘vulnerable adult’. Diagnosis is an exploration of the treatment and of societal attitudes towards people with disabilities and the bureaucracy, which should protect them actually harming them.

The woman (Athena Stevens) under question remains nameless throughout the show and is even referred to as ‘S/he’ in the show’s programme. Evidently deliberate, this provides one of the key messages of the show – how society ‘others’ people with disabilities and their stories meaning that they are often left unheard, and their talents left unutilised. Here, she has an unusual gift, claiming that she can see people’s ‘sell-by’ dates and what tragedy will befall them. But he won’t listen.

This undertone is reinforced throughout as our officer (Ché Walker) takes light relief in the messages received from a colleague who is detailing watching foxes from his early morning watch post. He also talks very dismissively of her, stating that she is: “Physically impaired, mental capacity undetermined.”

The other key message of the piece is regarding the dangers of overly bureaucratic procedures and processes. The checks and balances that should protect vulnerable people can really just serve to protect the established order. We see this in a specific scenario. Public Oversight Code 22 (PO-22) is a common feature, an article providing a façade of protecting rights in interactions with ‘vulnerable individuals’ when it is really providing cover for inaction and delays. She thinks it means that she will be heard, whereas he knows it means he won’t have to listen. He says to a colleague: “We just need to log the assault before we can let her go.”

The two main actors are also the writer (Stevens) and director (Walker) of the show, quite fitting that they are the ones to bring their work to life. These elements are carefully woven into the plot and dialogue of the characters, with excellent timing. One can enjoy the irony of the officer verbally detailing the reason for the additional procedural features of this interview while simultaneously showing his impatience with them. The scene is cleverly designed (Juliette Demoulin), with the interview both in front of us and projected onto a screen behind. Slate-coloured walls flank the performance, a familiar sight from any crime drama.

At times, the plot asks quite too much of the audience, straying too far into fantasy. This damages the seriousness and importance of the moral of this story, which do get lost when the storyline flirts with science-fiction. The plot needs a bit more substance to get to its punchline without these ‘jumps’, which do seem to interrupt the flow. Nonetheless, it remains an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances.

DAVID COPPERFIELD

Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★★

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

DAVID COPPERFIELD

Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 25th November 2025

by Samantha Karr

Photography by Steve Gregson

Previously reviewed at this venue:

DAVID COPPERFIELD

DAVID COPPERFIELD

DAVID COPPERFIELD

DIAGNOSIS

Finborough Theatre

★★★½

“an original and interesting show led by two excellent performances”

DIAGNOSIS

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed on 15th May 2025

by Luke Goscomb

Photography by Alex Walton

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:

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