Review: GREAT EXPECTATIONS, Royal Exchange Theatre
Photo credit: Ellie Kurttz
This classic tale may have originated from a novel by the legendary Charles Dickens, but this Royal Exchange Theatre and Tamasha co-production of Great Expectations has been adapted for the stage and reculturalised to bring a new perspective to the narrative by Tanika Gupta.
Dickens’ original story is a fairly complex one, with one of the main overarching themes being classism, however Gupta’s adaptation has added even more depth to the story by the inclusion of imperialism and has devised the script in such a way that not only is clear for audiences to make sense of as events unravel, but also stays true to the storyline of Dickens’ original tale. With adaptations, it is quite often that the nuances of the original story can either be scrapped or lost in translation, and thankfully neither has happened in this case thanks to Gupta’s writing talent.
In this production, the story follows the life of young Pipli and begins at the end of the 19th century just as rumours begin to circulate that the British Empire wish to partition his home of Bengal. An orphaned boy, Pipli lives with his older sister and her husband, and one day comes across a convict by the river and whom he helps with food, either through kindness or fear. Young Pipli is given the opportunity to play in the house of English lady Miss Havisham where he meets the beautiful Estella and begins to get a small glimpse of being a part of English high society. Pipli is then offered the opportunity to leave his home and family to gain an education and learn the ways of an English gentleman, thanks to a mysterious benefactor with great expectations of young Pipli, and so he leaves in search of a better future for himself, but what is he really destined for?
Pooja Ghai, Artistic Director of Tamasha, has directed this adaptation of the Dickens classic and has truly done a splendid job of it. Every movement and interaction within the play, even the smallest of moments, has clear and considered purpose and really assists the actors in delivering the story to a high standard. The several layers to the story are clearly presented, though not always obvious in the first instance, which only makes the production more captivating as the audience gets to discover truths across the course of the story along with Pipli. Every actor featured in Great Expectations stands out in their own right, whether they play one constant character or multirole as several characters. As it is a ‘coming-of-age’ story that spans over quite a few years, we see the actors excellently portray the development and growth of their characters over the course of the play - most notably by Cecilia Appiah as Estella, Giles Cooper as Herbert Pocket, and especially by Esh Alladi as the story’s main protagonist Pip; in the beginning showcasing the juvenile innocence of the characters and by the end, a more mature version of themselves with a greater understanding of the world.
This fantastic adaptation has been made even more captivating by Rosa Maggiora’s set design and lighting by Joshua Carr. The amalgamation of Maggiora and Carr’s creative ideas have created a breathtakingly beautiful atmosphere within the playing space of the Royal Exchange Theatre, including with the burning of incense to connect the audience to Gupta’s world on another level. As well as being visually pleasing, the set design - assistance by the lighting - is versatile to create the various indoor and outdoor settings of the play.
Transporting the classic Charles Dickens tale from London to Bengal, Tanika Gupta’s adaptation of Great Expectations is truly spellbinding with a fantastic alternate view of this much-loved story. Thanks to excellent writing, direction, and performances, you can expect a great yet thought-provoking evening of theatre with Great Expectations.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Jess Dalloway
Great Expectations plays at the Royal Exchange Theatre until 7 October, with further information here.