REVIEW: David Copperfield, One Off Productions, Kings Theatre, Southsea (From Daily Echo)

REVIEW: David Copperfield, One Off Productions, Kings Theatre, Southsea

10:25am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Curtain Call By Ham Quentin

DECAMPED from the theatre Royal while it undergoes refurbishment, this company has found another lovely theatre in Portsmouth for its Dickens bi-centennial show.

Alastair Cording’s adaptation, director Pam Lippiet and this lively cast present many memorable characters, including Rob Richards, a terrifying, sadistic Murdstone, James Doyle and Marie Crispin, earthy but dignified Peggottys, David Lippiet, somehow likeable as Creakle, Lucy Moore a perfect Trotwood, matched by Tony Dart’s Mr Dick, Roger Taylor and Sally Evans highly endearing Micawbers and a brilliant interpretation of Uriah Heep by Henry Oastler, who dominates the stage whenever he’s on.

As the young and older Davids, Georgina Hamorak and Adam Brown both avoid excessive tweeness.

There seems to be some attempt here to connect David’s early love of reading with Dickens’ own imaginative development, an interesting idea that adds spice to some of the necessary narrating, but Dickens own voice dominates, as indeed it should.