The Extraordinary Adventures of David Copperfield at Riverside Studios

Sometimes, all it takes for a good show is three enthusiastic actors, a pianist and an appreciation for the source material. In Simon Reade’s The Extraordinary Adventures of David Copperfield, directed by Emily Raymond, there are very few props or lighting effects, the costumes are vaguely Dickensian, and yet the cast manage to conjure such charm that it results in an entertaining show.

The plot – like the original – is narrated by the titular character of David Copperfield (Christopher Buckley), whose life we trace from birth to the height of his success as a man of letters. On the way, he of course encounters a whole host of characters, all of whom are portrayed by Katy Owen and James Peake – from his mother Clara and great-aunt Trotwood to the sinister Uriah Heep and Edward Murdstone. It is quite an impressive feat to pull off, though it does result in this production reducing some of the characters to simple stereotypes – sometimes even the more important ones.

Buckley as Copperfield is always charismatic; he encounters the world with wide-eyed innocence and one can hardly help but feel for and with him. Owen and Peake as everyone else are frequently hilarious: they have excellent comedic timing, and some of the more serious interactions are also dealt with respectfully on stage.

Indeed, the show is hardly short at roughly two hours long, yet the story is still necessarily abridged. It does contain the important episodes, but some aspects are just glanced over – the magnitude of Heep’s villainy, for instance, is only tackled on the side. On top of the main narration, there are a few, never great, but often amusing, musical numbers.

Speaking of songs: the whole show has a strong music hall vibe to it, lending it an old-timey allure that it maintains throughout. This also goes hand in hand with the low-budget production which serves it well. The story is still there, and it’s told in an amusing way that should please most fans of the original. It’s a reasonably strong paean to Dickens’ vision and contains plenty of heart.

Michael Higgs
Image: Christian Davies

The Extraordinary Adventures of David Copperfield is at from 7^th February until 25^th February 2023. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.