''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' is an 8½ hour-long adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1839 novel, performed in two parts. Part 1 was 4 hours in length with one interval of 15 minutes. Part 2 was 4½ hours in length with two intervals of 12 minutes. It was originally presented onstage over two evenings, or in its entirety from early afternoon with a dinner break. Later it was presented on television over four evenings. The opening night was on 5 June 1980. The show ran for an 8-week season at the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

, playing Part 1 on some nights and Part 2 on others with both parts playing together on matinée and evening performances. It was revived for two further 8-week runs at the Aldwych in the autumn season of 1980 and the spring season of 1981 before being filmed for Primetime TV at the

Old Vic Theatre The Old Vic is a 1,000-seat, nonprofit producing theatre in Waterloo, London, England. It was established in 1818 as the Royal Coburg Theatre, and renamed in 1833 the Royal Victoria Theatre. In 1871 it was rebuilt and reopened as the Royal ...

and transferring to Broadway for the autumn season of 1981. A further revival with a substantially different cast played at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford and toured to Los Angeles and Broadway in 1985. The play was adapted by David Edgar from the

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

novel '' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. Directed by John Caird and

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is an English theatre director and lyricist. He has been the artistic director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal Haymarket. He has dir ...

, the music and lyrics were from Stephen Oliver and the set design was by

John Napier John Napier of Merchiston ( ; Latinisation of names, Latinized as Ioannes Neper; 1 February 1550 – 4 April 1617), nicknamed Marvellous Merchiston, was a Scottish landowner known as a mathematician, physicist, and astronomer. He was the 8 ...

and Dermot Hayes. It transferred to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway, initially opening 4 October 1981 and running until 3 January 1982. Revivals of the original production were produced in 1986 (which returned to USA for a Broadway run and national tour) and a truncated version from 2006 to 2008.

Productions

The original London cast included

Roger Rees Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh-American actor and director. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (play), The Life and Adventures of Nicho ...

as Nicholas,

David Threlfall David John Threlfall (born 12 October 1953) is an English stage, film and television actor and director. He is best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Channel 4's series '' Shameless''. He has also directed several episodes of the show. In Ap ...

as Smike,

Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley (born Krishna Pandit Bhanji; 31 December 1943) is an English actor. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Ben Kingsley, various accolades throughout Ben Kingsley on screen and stage, his career spanning fi ...

as Squeers,

Bob Peck Robert Peck (23 August 1945 – 4 April 1999) was an English actor who played Ronald Craven in the television serial ''Edge of Darkness'', for which he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor. He ...

as John Browdie and Sir Mulberry Hawk,

John Woodvine John Woodvine (born 21 July 1929) is an English actor who has appeared in more than 70 theatre productions, as well as a similar number of television and film roles. Early life Woodvine was born in South Shields, the son of Rose (née Kelly) ...

as Ralph Nickleby,

Susan Littler Susan Littler (31 December 1947 – 11 July 1982) was an English actress who appeared in many television and stage productions in the 1970s and early 1980s, before her death from cancer. A versatile and respected actress, Littler is perhaps ...

as Kate,

Edward Petherbridge Edward Petherbridge (born 3 August 1936) is an English actor, writer and artist. Among his many roles, he portrayed Lord Peter Wimsey in the 1987 BBC television adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayers' novels, and Guildenstern in Tom Stoppard's ''R ...

as Newman Noggs,

Timothy Spall Timothy Leonard Spall ( ; born 27 February 1957) is an English actor. He gained recognition for his character actor roles on stage and screen. In 2000, he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. S ...

as Young Wackford and Mr. Folair,

John McEnery John Murray McEnery (1 November 1943 – 12 April 2019) was an English actor. Early life Born in Walsall, England, McEnery was the third son of Charles and Mary McEnery (nee Brinson). McEnery's father owned a pickle factory, however whe ...

as Mr. Mantalini, William the Waiter and Mr. Snevellicci,

Graham Crowden Clement Graham Crowden (30 November 1922 – 19 October 2010) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his many appearances in television comedy dramas and films, often playing eccentric scientist, teacher and doctor characters. Early life C ...

as Mr. Vincent Crummles, and

Suzanne Bertish Suzanne Bertish (born 7 August 1951) is an English actress. Educated at Woldingham School, Bertish joined the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared in many of its productions, including its marathon eight-and-a-half-hour version of Charles Di ...

as Fanny Squeers, Peg Sliderskew and Miss Snevellicci, among many others. All actors apart from Rees played multiple roles. Some parts were recast in November 1980, with

Fulton Mackay William Fulton Beith Mackay (12 August 1922 – 6 June 1987) was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr Mackay in the 1970s television sitcom ''Porridge''. Early life Mackay was born in Paisley, Renfrew ...

playing Squeers, Emily Richard taking the role of Kate Nickleby and

Christopher Benjamin Christopher Benjamin may refer to: * Christopher Benjamin (actor) Christopher John Benjamin (27 December 1934 – 10 January 2025) was an English actor with many stage and television credits from 1958 to 2016. He played Henry Gordon Jago in ...

as Crummles. Fulton Mackay and Timothy Spall had left the company by the time the production was filmed and were replaced by

Alun Armstrong Alan Armstrong (born 17 July 1946), known professionally as Alun Armstrong, is an English character actor. He grew up in County Durham in North East England, and first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar ...

and

Ian McNeice Ian McNeice (born 2 October 1950) is an English film and television actor. On television, he has played government agent Harcourt in the 1985 television series ''Edge of Darkness'', Bert Large in the comedy-drama '' Doc Martin'', the Newsreade ...

respectively. When the Aldwych production closed in the summer of 1981 the set was moved to the

and the work performed for a four-part mini-series by

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

and Mobil Showcase Theatre., which was telecast in the US in January 1983. The full-length version of the play was produced by three American companies subsequent to the RSC. The Great Lakes Theatre Festival, formerly Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in 1982 with a revival in 1983, directed by Edward Stern and Robert Lanchester, and Kansas City Repertory Theater, formerly Missouri Repertory Theater, directed by James Assad and Leon Rubin in 1983. The third production was in February and March 1984 by the students at Herbert Henry Dow High School, Midland, Michigan, directed by J. Michael Reilly. An Australian production played at the Theatre Royal in Sydney from December 1983 to March 1984, and later in Melbourne and Adelaide from December 1984 to March 1985. It featured

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...

as Nicholas and Tony Taylor as Smike. The production was revived for the

Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a Grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...

, Stratford-upon-Avon, in January 1986. A second Broadway production ran from 24 August 1986 to 12 October 1986 at the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the thea ...

and was nominated for the 1987 Tony Award for Best Revival. A production by the

Hilberry Theatre The Hilberry Theatre was a 534-seat auditorium located at 4743 Cass Avenue in Midtown Detroit, Michigan. Created in 1963, the Hilberry served as the theatre space for approximately 40-50 graduate students pursuing degrees in theatre fields at th ...

was named best play of the 1987–88 season in the

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...

theater awards. Despite the play's success, its length and the size of the cast required means that it is seldom revived, although in 2006 Edgar prepared a shorter version for a production at the Chichester Festival, which transferred in December 2007 and January 2008 to the

Gielgud Theatre The Gielgud Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, at the corner of Rupert Street, in the City of Westminster, London. The house currently has 994 seats on three levels. The theatre was designed by W. G. R. Sprague and ...

in the West End. The production, directed by

Philip Franks Philip Franks (born 2 February 1956) is an English actor and director, known to the public chiefly for his roles in English television series, such as '' The Darling Buds of May'' and '' Heartbeat''. Early life Franks was born on 2 February 19 ...

and Jonathan Church went on to perform at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada. This version has been produced in the US by the California Shakespeare Festival, Playmakers Repertory Theater and a production was performed at The Lyric Stage Company of Boston in October – December 2010.

Critical reception

Although audience reception was enthusiastic, critical reception was mixed.

Frank Rich Frank Hart Rich Jr. (born June 2, 1949) is an American essayist and liberal op-ed columnist, who held various positions within ''The New York Times'' from 1980 to 2011. He has also produced television series and documentaries for HBO. Rich is ...

in ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' reported dull passages piling up as "dead weight", while John Simon in the ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

'' felt that the work was a "middlebrow enterprise" doing "scant justice" to the novel. In contrast

Mel Gussow Melvyn Hayes "Mel" Gussow (; December 19, 1933 – April 29, 2005) was an American theater critic, movie critic, and author who wrote for ''The New York Times'' for 35 years. Biography Gussow was born in New York City and grew up in Rockville ...

, again in ''The New York Times'', noted that "''Nicholas Nickleby'' remains true to Dickens – many of the lines are taken directly from the novel, dialogue as well as narration – and to first principles of theater" when describing the RSC's recast production in 1986. Playwright and reviewer Thomas Hischak, writing in retrospect about the 1981–82 New York season, judged the production as the "centerpiece of the season...a theatrical experience of a lifetime" and in London

Bernard Levin Henry Bernard Levin (19 August 1928 – 7 August 2004) was an English journalist, author and broadcaster, described by ''The Times'' as "the most famous journalist of his day". The son of a poor Jewish family in London, he won a scholarship t ...

of ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' found "a ceaselessly entertaining...dramatic triumph" and despaired of the cavils of his fellow critics. He concluded: "…we come out not merely delighted but strengthened, not just entertained but uplifted, not only affected but changed."

Theme

Edgar's writing for the stage is avowedly political and his treatment of Dickens's novel, with its descriptions of poverty and as its central subject matter the wickedness of money-broker Ralph Nickleby, sought to draw parallels between the social conditions of 1830s Britain with what he saw as the growing political climate of selfishness in the 1980s. However, some critics felt that the RSC's ebullient staging, the necessary happy ending (brought about by benevolent capitalism as represented by the Cheeryble brothers) and even the huge commercial success of the play itself diminished the impact of Edgar's message.

Awards and nominations

;Awards * 1980 Laurence Olivier Awards: Play of the year; Director of the year; Designer of the year; Actor of the year in a new play: Roger Rees; Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role: David Threlfall; Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role: Suzanne Bertish. * 1982 Tony Awards: Best Play; Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Roger Rees * 1982

New York Drama Critics' Circle The New York Drama Critics' Circle is made up of 23 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York City metropolitan area. The organization is best known for its annual awards for excellence in theater.Jon ...

Award for Best Play ;Nominations * 1987 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play

Home video

filmed the play as it was performed in a theatre, The Old Vic, shortly before the RSC took the show to Broadway. Two extra versions of "the story so far" (which originally recapped part one for theatregoers returning for part two) were written, staged, and filmed, to introduce the second and fourth acts for television. The company (in alphabetical order): * Alun Armstrong as Mr. Squeers and Mr. Wagstaff *

as Mr. Vincent Crummles and Walter Bray *

as Milliner, Fanny Squeers, Miss Snevellicci and Peg Sliderskew * Sharon Bower as Waitress, Rich lady, Milliner, Pitcher, Mr. Kenwigs' sister, Miss Bravassa, and Opera singer * Janet Dale as Snawney Major, Miss Knag, Mrs. Cutler, Miss Belvawney, Mrs. Wititterley, and Mrs. Snawley * Jeffery Dench as Mr. Cutler, Landlord, Mr. Blightley, and Arthur Gride *

Jane Downs Jane Margaret Downs (22 January 1935 – 20 May 2015) was an English actress. Early life Downs was born in Bromley, Kent, England. Career She started her career in the theatre, and later appeared on radio and in film, playing Kenneth More ...

as Mrs. Nickleby and Miss Green * Ian East as Milliner, Roberts, and Mr. Crowl *

Nicholas Gecks Nicholas Gecks is a British actor who appeared in Series Four of ''Rumpole of the Bailey'' as his modernising colleague Charles Hearthstoke. Early life Gecks was born in Penang, Malaysia in 1952. Career Gecks starred as Father Mike in the 1983 ...

as Jackson and Lord Frederick Verisopht * Alan Gill as Graymarsh, George, Keeper and Westwood *

Patrick Godfrey Patrick Lindesay Archibald Godfrey (born 13 February 1933) is an English actor of film, television and stage. Life and career Godfrey was born in Finsbury, London to Rev. Frederick Godfrey and Lois Mary Gladys (née Turner). In 1956 Godfrey ...

as Irate gentleman, Jennings, Mr. Kenwigs, The man next door and Casino proprietor *

Lucy Gutteridge Lucy Kérimée Gutteridge (born 28 November 1956) is a retired English actress. She portrayed Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt in the television miniseries '' Little Gloria... Happy at Last'' (1982), for which she received a Golden Globe Award nominatio ...

as Milliner, Sprouter, Young Fiancée, Miss Ledrock and Madeline Bray *

Cathryn Harrison Cathryn Mary Lee Harrison (25 May 1959 – October 2018) was an English actress. Early life Harrison was the daughter of the actor and singer Noel Harrison and Sara Lee Eberts, and the granddaughter of actor Sir Rex Harrison. Career Harr ...

as Milliner, Tilda Price and Miss Henrietta Petowker * Andrew Hawkins as Mr. Bonney, Coates, Mr. Hetherington, Opera singer, Captain Adams and Policeman *

Rose Hill Rose Hill may refer to: People * Rose Hill (actress) (1914–2003), British actress * Rose Hill (athlete) (born 1956), British wheelchair athlete Film * ''Rose Hill'' (film), a 1997 movie Places Australia * Rose Hill, New South Wales * Rose ...

as Miss La Creevy, Lady from downstairs and Mrs. Grudden * Roderick Horn as Pugstyles, Mr. Wititterley and Umpire * Griffith Jones as Flunkey, Old Lord, Mr. Fluggers and Tim Linkinwater *

Lila Kaye Lila Kaye (7 November 1929 – 10 January 2012) was an English actress. She spent a number of years working in the United States, on Broadway and in television, before returning to England. She often played motherly and/or comedic characters ...

as Mrs. Squeers and Mrs. Crummles * Teddy Kempner as Peters, Benjamin, Master Peter Crummles, Tix and Mr. Pluck * Timothy Kightley as Flunkey, Mr. Lillyvick, Colonel Chowser and Surgeon * Shirley King as Rich lady, Mrs. Kenwigs and Mrs. Lenville *

as William, Mr. Mantalini, Cobbey and Mr. Snevellicci *

as Young Wackford Squeers, Scaley and Croupier * William Maxwell as Mr. Snawley, Milliner, Tomkins and Mr. Pailey *

David Lloyd Meredith David Lloyd Meredith (30 October 1933 – 22 October 2008) was an English actor. He came from a Welsh family background, but was born in London. His best known role was as uniform Sergeant, then Detective Sergeant (finally Detective Inspector) ...

as Sir Matthew Pupker and Charles Cheeryble * Sally Nesbitt as Waitress, Milliner, Phib and Ganzingi *

as John Browdie and Sir Mulberry Hawk *

as Newman Noggs and Hawk's rival * Clyde Pollitt as Coachman, Mr. Folair and Brooker * Stephen Rashbrook as Belling, Milliner, Mr. Bane and Alphonse *

Christopher Ravenscroft Christopher Ravenscroft (born 1946) is an English actor, best known for his recurring role as DI Mike Burden in ''The Ruth Rendell Mysteries'', the ITV adaptation of Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford mysteries. Biography Ravenscroft was born in ...

as Mobbs, Mr. Lenville, Mr. Snobb and Frank Cheeryble *

Hubert Rees Hubert Rees (27 April 1928 – 20 October 2009) was a Welsh character actor, known for his supporting roles in British television shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Early life Rees was born on 27 April 1928 in Abergavenny, Wales. Career R ...

as Mr. Curdle and Ned Cheeryble *

as Nicholas Nickleby * Emily Richard as Kate Nickleby and Mrs. Curdle * Mark Tandy as Bolder, Master Crummles, Mr. Pyke and Policeman *

as Smike * Hilary Townley as Hannah, Snawley minor, Milliner, Morleena Kenwigs, The infant phenomenon and Young woman * Thelma Whiteley as Mrs. Snevellicci, Nurse and Madame Mantalini *

as Ralph Nickleby and Opera singer

In popular culture

In the final episode of Season 3 of the U.S. drama television series ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...

'', the cast of a production of John Barton's ''

The Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was f ...

'' performs a rendition of "Patriotic Song" from ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. The song is performed almost in its entirety, under the final scene of the episode. Earlier in the same episode, the fictional President Bartlet quotes the chorus of "victorious in war shall be made glorious in peace" as he mulls the decision to commit a political assassination.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, The 1980 plays Broadway plays Laurence Olivier Award–winning plays Plays based on novels Tony Award–winning plays West End plays Plays based on works by Charles Dickens Plays by David Edgar Nicholas Nickleby