David Copperfield
Louise Beresford, Luke Barton and Eddy Payne. (Photo: Harry Elletson)
By Fern Siegel (posted 6/7/26)
It’s no mean trick to take a Charles Dickens’ novel and distill it to its essence. But that’s the genius of the Guildford Shakespeare Company, which is presenting David Copperfield as part of 59E59’s Brits Off Broadway celebration.
The semi-autobiographical novel charts the life of young David, from his opening line — “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” — to his eventual success as a writer.
En route, he embarks on a tumultuous adventuring, encountering a host of villains, including his stepfather Mr. Murdstone and the corrupt, vampiric Uriah Heep. He also encounters kindness, his mother’s housekeeper Peggotty, the destitute Mr. Micawber and his aunt, Betsey Trotwood, who eventually becomes his savior. She gives him an education and loving home, shared with the eccentric Mr. Dick.
In fact, 20 characters come to life in the play, thanks to three versatile and talented actors: Luke Barton, Louise Beresford and Eddy Payne.
Director Abigail Pickard Price adapted this lively version with Sarah Gobran and Mitt Pinches, the same team that produced last summer’s Pride and Prejudice. Their theatricality is a byword, as is the troupe’s fast-paced delivery that mines Dickens for both comedy and drama. Guildford’s must-see production allows 21st-century audiences to appreciate the great author anew.
And it’s a wild ride.
The story follows David Copperfield from infancy to adulthood, and his life is jam-packed with assorted traumas. Dickens takes cruelty of all sorts to task — from parental figures and harsh schoolteachers to Heep, one of literature’s most reviled men. The treacherous Heep manipulates Mr. Wickfield, an alcoholic lawyer dependent on his daughter Agnes, and takes over his practice by fraudulent means.
Dickens is equally critical of a society that values wealth and punishes the poor. Mr. Micawber bears a striking resemblance to Dickens’ description of his own father: “a jovial opportunist with no money sense.”
In short, the show is a roller-coaster ride through the perils of Victorian life.
Louise Beresford, Eddy Payne (Photo: Harry Elletson)
Even David’s marriage to his child-wife Dora speaks volumes about the precarious state of women, either caring for weak men (Agnes) or kept woefully ignorant of the world and unable to care for themselves (Dora). Aunt Betsey, based on a real woman, is a complex standout. She disdains men and values her independence, yet exhibits genuine affect for her nephew and the dreamlike Mr. Dick.
Clearly, this multifaceted work is a literary treasure trove. Adapting it into a two-hour show is an impressive feat. Pickard has captured its satire, sadness and humor. She’s aided by Mark Dymock’s evocative lighting, along with Neil Irish’s sets, in which an empty coat and tall hat can double as a major character and suitcases quickly transform into desks or coaches. The costumes, co-created with Anett Black, are equally notable.
The three actors move at a clip, changing accents and genders as quickly as they do clothes. And while reading Dickens is its own reward, the Guildford Shakespeare Company’s approach is not only a wonderfully inventive introduction, but a joy to behold.