Bleak Expectations at the Criterion Theatre – review
Having originated at the Watermill Theatre last year, this airwaves-to-stage adaptation of the popular Radio 4 comedy arrives in the West End just in time to spread some much-needed cheer. Telling the story of Pip Bin, who narrates his own journey in the guise of a rolling cast of celebrity guests, it’s a soft-soap Dickensian spoof with knowing nods to everything from the cost of interval ice cream to Chekhov’s gun.
Immediately after being born Pip shakes hands with his father, who gives him a smoking pipe and promptly dies on an empire-building expedition. His ironically monikered guardian Gently Benevolent packs him off to St Bastard’s boarding school in the hope of finishing him off and claiming the inheritance, but fate has other ideas and our hero soon heads to London to seek his fortune.
Much of Mark Evans’ script is taken directly from the radio show, so it feels in some sense like a greatest hits compilation. Which is all well and good, but running at over two hours it means certain jokes – most of which play with well-worn tropes – get stretched to the point of translucence, and it all lacks a little cohesion. It’s like feasting on canapes – periodically delightful, but not exactly filling.
However, there are some highly enjoyable performances from the eight-strong ensemble, notably Dom Hodson’s nice-but-dim Pip, John Hopkins’ dastardly Gently, and Rachel Summers’ hard-done-by love interest Ripely Fecund. Marc Pickering meanwhile manages to steal pretty much every scene he’s in as a quartet of Hardthrasher siblings, including sadistic headmaster Wackwell.
Our narrator on press night was Sally Phillips, who popped up throughout with various observations, asides and occasional ad-libs. Future guests include Stephen Fry, Julian Clary and Jo Brand. It’s a pretty chunky cameo so the tone of the show will no doubt oscillate accordingly, which lends it a nice air of variety.
Caroline Leslie’s spirited production features some decent choreography from Lee Crowley that includes a deceptively sophisticated musical number, played out on Kate Lias’ colourful set, a jumble of victoriana featuring a large pile of books that acts as a staircase. This provides not just useful elevation but a neat metaphor for a show that treads lightly up and down its source material, with mostly grin-inducing results.
