Great Expectations at Mercury Theatre Colchester – review
In this life there are three certainties: death, taxes, and adaptations of Great Expectations. This year is a bumper year for Dickens enthusiasts, what with the somewhat controversial BBC television series starring Olivia Colman, and now the Mercury Theatre’s production of his classic tale.
The story centres around Pip, a poor orphan who lives with his abusive sister and her kind-hearted blacksmith husband Joe. After encountering an escaped convict and showing him kindness, Pip’s life takes a turn when Miss Havisham, a wealthy, peculiar woman, invites him to play with her adopted daughter, Estella, and he instantly falls for the young girl, despite her coldness. Years later Pip comes into a large sum of money from a mysterious benefactor, allowing him to move to London and follow his dream of being a gentleman, but Pip soon discovers that wealth and class aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
Great Expectations was first published in 1861 as weekly instalments in Dickens’ periodical All the Year Round, over a nine-month period. Thankfully Gale Childs Daly has neatly condensed the novel into a two-hour production, which is no mean feat considering the vast number of characters and sub-plots within the story. And Ryan McBride’s creative direction ensures that it’s a fast-paced, engaging show.
Dickens’ many characters are brought to life by just six talented cast members, five of whom narrate the production while taking on multiple roles. With the help of simple and quick costume changes they switch between the characters in mere seconds, barely pausing for breath, and manage to distinguish between each of them with physical and vocal changes.
Stanton Wright does an excellent job of leading the production, believable enough to play Pip from the age of seven through to adulthood, moving effortlessly between innocence and arrogance as he adapts to life as a gentleman. Bessy Ewa shows a great range as she switches between the cool, spiteful Estella, the kind, warm Biddy, and the threatening Compeyson. Gareth Kennerley impresses in particular as Magwitch, as does Jim Fish as the lovable and generous Joe, while Sam Lupton injects some welcome humour into the piece with his portrayal of Herbert Pocket.
One of the most iconic Dickens characters is of course Miss Havisham, a woman who spends her days wearing the wedding dress from when she was jilted at the altar. There have been many impressive portrayals over the years with the likes of Gillian Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter setting the bar high. Thankfully Emily Pollet steps up to the challenge, and though her portrayal is perhaps not quite as eccentric, she’s brilliantly menacing as she encourages Estella to break the heart of every man she meets.
Libby Todd’s impressive design brings working-class, industrial London vividly to life with the inclusion of brick walls, wood and metal. It’s a versatile design with several surprises emerging throughout, undoubtedly one of the more impressive sets the Mercury has seen.
With so many productions of Great Expectations over the years, there’s a danger that the story can become tiresome, but Dickens’ tale of social class, wealth, love and rejection is still relevant today and shows just why he’s considered one of the greatest novelists. Although at first this adaptation feels a little overwhelming due to the sheer number of characters introduced, it’s an engaging and visually impressive production that stays true to the original story while capturing the imagination, and it’s great to see Dickens’ work appealing to new audiences. A creative and captivating take on the classic story, with strong performances from the cast.
