Great Expectations
by Toby Smith K
ing's College pupils playing their
part in the Charles Dickens
bicentenary celebrations
entertained full houses for four nights at
the end of the Michaelmas term, in a
revival of a Royal Shakespeare Company
stage adaptation of Dickens' classic novel
by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.
A large company of pupils retold the
story, which typically for Dickens has a
complicated plot, with great clarity and
sustained concentration, with the entire
cast in Alastair Wood's visually stunning
production in the theatre for the full
three-hour performance. Despite the
length, the excitement rarely dipped.
Dickens' writing style means that there
are many memorable and well-defined
scenes, and some excellent acting
brought his favourite characters to life.
Charlie Webb, as the family's socially
superior Uncle Pumblechook, was
entertainingly pompous, though never
over-exaggerated; Paddy Cartwright as
the lawyer Jaggers caught the arrogance
and assurance perfectly, and handled the
parody legalese with skill, while Emily
Albery was a frighteningly authoritative,
often malicious Miss Havisham.
Gussy Hydleman playing Estella conveyed
excellently the character's aloofness and
her hidden vulnerability, and her
interaction with Pip, played by Archie
Watts, was very moving. As the hero of
the adventures, Archie was rarely offstage,
and he caught perfectly the
character's growth from selfconsciousness
to self-confidence, to selfpity
as his fortunes rise and fall.
The principals were ably supported by a
number of smaller character part-players:
it was one of the distinctive features of
the production that there were no weak
links, all the cast from 3rd form to sixth
form carrying their responsibilities with
considerable professionalism. Lighting,
scenery and Colin Albery's original score
all added to the experience. It was a very
impressive show, and the audience left
with great expectations of the next.
Aluredian 53
Emily Albery as the malicious
Miss Havisham