Monday 31 August 2015

Nicholas Nickleby

Found some sketchbooks dating back to 1980 when I was working at the RSC at the Aldwych in London on the prop staff. They were previewing an adaptation of Dickens' novel by David Edgar which lasted 8 1/2 hours. Initially it didn't do well and I remember them closing the upper balcony and offering tickets to people at the busstops outside until Bernard Levin's rave review in The Times. After that it was a smash hit and it was moving to see the audience spontaneously rise to their feet at the end of the show night after night. It was an inspired production and the open plan set with everyone on stage made it ideal to draw.
Suzanna Bertish as Peg Sliderskew
Bob Peck as John Browdie helps Smike ( David Threlfell) escape
Nicholas and Newman Noggs (Edward Petherbridge)
Ben Kingsley playing The Duke in the Crummles Theatre Company's production of Romeo and Juliet

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