REVIEW

A rare treat
John Myhill

While it’s always nice to see a bit of Dickens around the festive season, it’s a rare treat to have something that isn’t A Christmas Carol and, even for a Dickens fan like myself, The Old Curiosity Shop is one of his less well known novels, which actually turned out to be one of the strengths of this adaptation.

The audience either did not know where the tale would go, or, like myself, didn’t remember all of it (even if we remembered the main events!).

The only thing detracting from this was Maggie’s spoiler in her Director’s Note, but as the death of Little Nell is rather famous for the wave of sentimental reaction in the UK and abroad (including probably apocryphal stories about people at US docks shouting at arriving passengers about her fate) I think she can be forgiven!

Maggie’s adaptation is nicely balanced between keeping the key elements in but jettisoning some of the (many) diversions Dickens added in simply to keep his word count up – he was writing it as a serial and found it far too easy to throw in another half a dozen new characters every episode, so Maggie’s distillation makes for a much less taxing evening of theatre where one cannot get up, stretch ones legs and make a cuppa between chapters as one can with the original book!

Where it is sometimes “bitty” and changes direction suddenly, the fault lies not with Maggie but with Dickens because that is precisely what his novel does!

As with all Dickens' novels, there are a mixture of broad caricatures, simple comic characters and more in-depth character studies, none more complex than Nell’s Grandfather (he never gets an actual name!)

Narrating throughout (with a small extra role too) Chris Stobart’s rich tones were well suited to the prose (why thank you John! - C), and the structure helped move things on without having to trowel too much exposition into the dialogue of the characters.

Photo by Rebecca Cockcroft

Whilst Quilp was the main villain, there was also much evil fun in the portrayal of the Brass siblings, Sampson (Craig Macpherson) and Sally (Toni Clarke) and again they stayed just the right side of the panto-baddie line to keep our boos (largely) internal, and the scene where Sally even betrays her own brother was especially memorable! It was also fun to watch Craig having to mistreat his own daughter, Kirsty, who did a lovely job as the put upon Kit Nubbles.

Newcomer Michael Chakanetsa gave an amusing turn as the awkward (and unfortunately named) Dick Swiveller, and Patricia Coleman was clearly enjoying her two roles as Quilp’s mother-in-law and a haughty schoolmistress.

It was lovely to see Scarlett Teckman and Richenda Jameson getting the chance to play both sympathetic characters (as the Brass’s maid and Quilp’s put-upon wife, respectively) and then switch to the less loveable Codlin and Short, Punch and Judy puppeteers out for a quick buck by betraying Nell, and then switching back again – both sets of characters were very distinct and well played.

Brady Jolly had a similar nasty/nice situation as Nell’s unpleasant brother (Dickens never really did explain why he was like that!) and the much nicer schoolmaster and played both solidly, while Bea Thomas was charismatic as the owner of the travelling waxworks (nicely done by Maggie!) and brought more of the physical comedy expressions and subtleties from her Twelfth Night debut.

The rest of the cast were strong in support, with Stephen Power as “the single gentleman” who turns out to be an important relative and revealer of the plot; Sue Howes as the sweet Mrs Garland; Sally Whitestone, Bridget Adlington and Mia Souter as various villagers and passers – by; and Josh McCallum in several small but important roles, all delivered well.

The play skipped along at a good pace, with laughs and tears in equal measure. On a final note, the production included lovely visual and verbal tributes to the much missed Owen who had rehearsed the role of Mr Garland – a great shame not to see him one last time but I’m sure he would have been proud of what the rest of the cast did.

This production is dedicated to Owen Warr who had been part of Masque Theatre since 1969. Read a tribute to Owen.

PREVIEW

A timeless tale
Maggie Holland, adaptor and director

Step into a world of mystery, heartbreak, and unforgettable characters.

Follow young Nell and her grandfather on a perilous journey through Victorian England, fleeing danger after their lives are thrown into disarray and destitution, due to the machinations of an evil moneylender.

A timeless tale of resilience, tragedy and the enduring power of hope.

The last time I directed a play for Masque was Treasure Island in December 2019. We didn't know at the time that it would be the last production for over 18 months. I hope my return to directing does not herald anything so dramatic this time!

New adaptation

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens is not often performed on stage and so I set about adapting the novel to suit the performance venue.

There are many of the recurring characters of Dickens's works: a nasty moneylender, scheming legal clerks, gentlemen, philanthropic gentlemen, eccentric old ladies to name a few.

The story has been compared to Pilgrims Progress, with the journey taken by Nell and her Grandfather broken down into episodes, in each of which Nell learns something of life from the people she meets.

Dickens does not spare your feelings when portraying the cruelties of working (or non-working) class life in the 19th Century, but amidst the suffering the overriding message is of hope for better things to come.

A central element of the story is Grandfather's addiction to gambling, an issue still just as much a problem in the modern world. In the novel, Nell pays the ultimate price for his weakness. In this adaptation, being performed near to Christmas, I may need to insert a little more hope there!

Big cast

There are over 30 roles in this play, and most actors will play at least two parts. In addition to Nell and her Grandfather, her friend Kit and his mother, there is her brother and his friend Dick and a mysterious older gentleman who is looking for them. Their problems commence with the evil moneylender Daniel Quilp, who bullies everyone including his wife and mother in law. His employees, Samson and Sally Brass are also nasty types, with Sally quite a rarity in novels of the time, a strong professional woman.

When Nell and Grandfather flee they meet various people, fairground folk including the operators of a Punch and Judy stall, the owner of a travelling waxworks, a schoolmaster, and various other people. Always on their trail are Quilp and, separately, the gentleman who is aided by Kit, his benevolent employer and the no-name "small servant" of the Brass household.

For those who do not know the story I do not want to give too many spoilers, but be assured, Quilp gets what he deserves.

The production will involve quite a lot of ensemble work to ensure smooth running between the various locations.

It is being played with period costume and although there will be some set and lots of props, the actors will create the various atmospheres.