Details

The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralised by the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution. Retaining the thrill and tension of the French Revolutionary setting but merging it with a modern, East London aesthetic, the production reimagines Dickens' dangerous and doomed antihero Sydney Carton as a member of the 27 Club (which includes Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse). The adaptation marries three of the finest artists in their own fields that England has ever known: Dickens the master story-teller, Rattigan the great playwright and Gielgud the mercurial actor. Gielgud intended to play both Sidney Carton and a number of other roles, and this production will realise that ambition - and show off the talents of an incredible team of performers - by having thirty characters played by just eight actors.

Creatives/Company

Book by: Charles Dickens
Adapted by(s): Terence Rattigan, John Gielgud
Company: Newbury Dramatic Society
Director: Ann Davidson