On Saturday, Mary and I attended the opening of Nicholas Nickleby at the Gielgud Theatre. The play, adapted from the Dickens novel by David Edgar, falls in two parts, Part I starting at 2pm and ending at 5pm, and then a two hour interval before Part II at 7pm, ending at 10.30pm. This may seem a bit of a marathon, but I can assure you, in the hands of the Chichester Theatre company it is a delight from beginning to end. If you're thinking of something to go to over the Christmas period, I can recommend it for children and grannies . It's not compulsory to see both parts or even both on the same day, but you would be wise to see Part I before Part II - although that is perhaps stating the obvious. The standard of acting is extremely high, and I would single out David Yelland as Mr Ralph Nickleby, the evil uncle. Pantomime villains can often over-play the role, but he gave a beautifully understated performance of a thoroughly evil and unpleasant man. It might amuse people to know that his real-life daughter, Hannah Yelland, is playing his niece in the production. She's just down from St Catherine's College, Cambridge, and this is her first outing on the West End stage. I predict a long and glorious career. Go and see it.
2 Comments:
When we lived in Old Portsmouth some years ago, we went to hear Berliozs' The Trojans at The Guildhall. I think it started at about 2pm. There was a break for afternoon tea, then another break for dinner and it finnished at about 10.30. It was a great experience and is not performed very often for obvious reasons.
Why the Dickens do I not live in England or at least don't happen to be there at present to see the play? I adore Dickens but unfortunately can only content myself with his books. However, I strongly believe that in fact, no play, however capital it is, can be sufficient for itself and thus chosen as a substitute for books which saves us time (which is quite a strong argument) and the trouble of reading them. I personally will never deprive myself of the pleasure of taking a stroll about Dickens' captivating yarns and enjoying his singular language. What I will do without fail next time I'm in England, is visit Dickens World - a recently opened amusement park in Chatham. I know, Jeffrey, that Dickens is one of your favourite writers(the fact, when I learnt it made me respect you even more). I would like to know if you have been to the Dickens World and what your impression of it is.
Thank you in advance.
Aliya
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