Written by one of the founding member of Reduced Shakespeare Company Adam Long, this new show brings on stage the abridged version of Dickens’ most famous work with five multi talented actors. It can be categorised as a musical since music played by the cast feature prominently including some witty 30 seconds summaries of Dickens’ work such as Little Dorrit. The abridged staging of each novel is interspersed with the biography and life of Charles Dickens himself, with his various oddities and ambition. The humour focuses on making fun of the quirks and shortcomings of plot lines but in a respectful manner and fans of Dickens will surely laugh along knowingly rather than be offended. The structure of the show is episodic and occasionally lacks momentum but it is generally entertaining. The biggest laugh comes in at a technical fault with a guitar which is impressively improvised highlighting the quality acting on stage. And with Christmas Carol as the final piece, it tags onto the festive atmosphere and altogether a fun evening.
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