Review: BLEAK EXPECTATIONS, Criterion Theatre
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
Bleak Expectations is bringing the best of times to the Criterion Theatre this summer, loosely based on Charles Dickens’ famous novels Great Expectations and Bleak House, mashed together into a comedic play set in the 19th century.
Akin with the original, this story follows Pip – Pip Bin to be exact - and narrated by his older self (in this reincarnation played by Sally Phillips) but will be played by guest stars throughout its run.
Mark Evans’ writing is witty, fast paced and never allows the audience to get bored. It has both the humour that you groan at and the humour that you laugh out loud at. Clever nods to Dickens’ work are intricately woven throughout the piece and it subtly pokes fun at current affairs.
The brilliance of the play allows the actors to perform to their full potential, and none more so than Marc Pickering who multi roles as The Hardthrashers. He steals every scene he is in and dons many hats (literally) within the piece, each more outrageous than the past, and played with vim and vigour.
Dom Hodson takes on the role of our hero Pip, playing the character with such enthusiasm and managing to encapsulate Pip through the varying ages of growing up, and displaying this without costume changes. He plays the character with a puppy-like innocence which offsets John Hopkins’ dastardly Gently Benevolent.
J.J Henry and Shane David-Joseph put in grand displays as Harry Biscuit/Mr Parsimonious and Thomas Bin/Bakewell Havertwitch and Broadly Fecund respectively. Rachel Summers and Serena Manteghi play Pip’s sisters, Poppy and Pippa, with both having excellent facial expressions and comic timing.
Sally Phillips’ narrator is witty and an appealing draw to capture potential audiences. The list of other guest star narrators is enticing and each will perform the role in their own way but it is a part that is written to allow the guest narrator to adlib and put their own spin on it as only comedians can. Phillips’ portrayal is nothing less than exceptional.
Everything within the piece appears to be so well thought out, with the main staging used as the interior of a 19th century house. It has both an upstairs and a downstairs ,which displays the social status of the family in the first half and is used to allow Sally Phillips’ narrator to be omnipresent. With light up silhouettes, doors in grandfather clocks and moveable doors, the set is mouldable to the varying scenes that we experience across the show.
Before the show and at the interval, instrumental versions of pop songs play, which weirdly fits in with the ambience created for the show.
Bleak Expectations is a wonderful show from the moment you set foot inside the door at the Criterion, and even the theatre it is staged in seems to lend itself to the identity of the piece as well. This isn’t a show to be missed and could be enjoyed time and time again.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Emma Rooney
Bleak Expectations plays at London’s Criterion Theatre until 3 September, with tickets available here.