David Copperfield

Synopsis

David has a doting mother. When he grows up he marries her image, the ditsy Dora. This is his tragedy. Even Peggotty's extended family on Yarmouth beach cannot escape the effects. But his tragedy is also our comedy as Uriah Heep and Mr Micawber, Aunt Betsey and Mr Dick, Steerforth and Traddlles, all criss-cross David's wayward path towards his Agnes, his true soul mate.

Our Review:

27 November 2010

Despite the fact that many of Charles Dickens' novels were serialised, his writing and narratives flow beautifully. Unfortunately, Deborah McAndrew’s adaptation of David Copperfield does not piece together as successfully, the many different artistic ideas preventing the performance from working as a whole.

The story, set in Victorian England, is told in first person, with the protagonist telling of his life, his loves, his losses and the
many influential people he has met on his way.

McAndrew does a praiseworthy job in making her text accessible to children, reducing a 737 page novel into an 84 page script. Furthermore, the creative team’s choice to bring in music and movement as an aid to narrative is a perfect way of maintaining a younger audience’s attention.

However, the focus on making the production family friendly is often taken too far, with the presumption that children need sillines...

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