Review: Guildford Shakespeare’s ‘David Copperfield’

Guildford Shakespeare Company’s adaptation of Dicken’s ‘David Copperfield’, performing from now until 28th February at Holy Trinity Church, Guildford, was an absolute tour de force of timing, choreography and characterisation. With just 3 cast members taking on an astounding  19 different roles between them, we were whisked at a relentless pace through Copperfield’s life story from birth to married adulthood.

A single innovative set served as various homes, school, office, horse-drawn coach, prison and beach, with constant clever use of various multi-purpose prop chests and suitcases, being shunted around into position by the cast themselves. Teamed with some stunning quick costume changes and the ingenious use of the unworn costumes themselves to represent certain characters in the busier scenes, and you really appreciated the immense amount of work that must have gone on in the rehearsal room to create such seamless transitions between characters and scenes.

Peter Pan-like Eddy Payne as David Copperfield was the constant thread throughout the play, convincingly embodying boyish, young Copperfield growing into maturity through his mis-adventures, surrounded by the whirlwind of friends and foes depicted by Louise Beresford, who went at a dizzying rate from playing young girls and wives, to worldly young men and craggy old fishermen, to older mother figures – each instantly distinct from each other, and by Luke Barton, who switched from overbearing and abusive, to nurturing and caring, and then to hapless and daydreaming characters in the blink of an eye with charismatic change of tone and posture.

The intense physicality of the play really can’t be underestimated and was plain to see in the sweat pouring off the actors – Movement Director Amy Lawrence and Fight Director Philip D’Orleans obviously had just as much influence on the fluidity of the changing scenes as Director (and Adaptor) Abigail Pickard Price did. All three actors were spectacular, moving in ballet-like synchronicity around each other and the set, a frenetic, yet precise choreography made to look effortless.

Sometimes understated simplicity of staging really is the key, especially when the intricacies of the plot requires concentration to follow, and the talents of Neil Irish – Set & Costume Designer, Mark Dymock – Lighting Designer and Matt Eaton – Sound Designer, unobtrusively established and cemented the atmosphere of each of the physical locations we travelled through, from weary London to the Plymouth seaside.

The intimate setting of Holy Trinity and the cabaret-style seating brought the audience up close and personal to the action, meaning we didn’t miss a single flicker of emotion, whether a twinkle or tear in the eye, helping connect us emotionally to Copperfield and his protagonists’ trials and tribulations.

This GSC show truly deserves the plaudits it’s earned whilst on tour in London and I strongly urge anyone to snap up tickets for its home-town showing whilst any are left! Book at guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk.