Joy Watters reviews an 'unforgettable' production of the classic novel.
Dickens’ classic novel was first adapted for the stage by Jo Clifford in 1988, and since then she has created various versions which have taken it round the world. This latest, directed by Dundee Rep’s Jemima Levick (in a co-production with Perth’s Horsecross) has a dreamlike quality, charting the progress of orphan Pip in a dark dark world with only the occasional burst of light.
Levick has put her original stamp on the piece, combining a clutch of well-honed performances with movement, design and an innovative score to create an unforgettable production.
It is the visually stunning look of the piece that lingers on in the mind’s eye. At the centre is Becky Minto’s towering set, dark and foreboding, with nooks and crannies, frames and shelves. Mike Robertson’s lighting is key to the development of the themes, perfectly in tune with the vicissitudes of Pip’s journey.
Music and sound is a major element, with composer David Paul Jones at the piano providing a flowing eclectic score with songs original, traditional and contemporary. He underlines the mood and changing emotions in the manner of a silent movie pianist. Jones’ voice and music are a delight but at times blur the power of the great storyteller.
For a while, it seems that Dickens’ words are somewhat muffled by the score and the initial scenes move too slowly for the narrative to really grip. Young Pip being confronted by the convict Magwitch is one that has terrified generations with its sheer dramatic power.
Pip’s rise from rags to riches and fall from society into poverty and ill health are sensitively handled in Thomas Cotran’s playing. As the emotionless Estella, bred to break hearts, Millie Turner captures the coldness and sadness of a woman who knows she will never be happy.
Ann Louise Ross’ Miss Havisham, who turns Estella into a weapon of revenge, is no cobwebbed relic but a good-looking woman who still rages at being jilted.
Levick’s production is a fascinating return to the classic story.
Runs at Dundee Rep until Sat June 20 and at Perth Concert Hall Tues June 23 to Sat June 27
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