The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is an eight-hour stage play, presented over two performances, adapted from the Charles Dickens novel of the same name by David Edgar. Directed by John Caird and Trevor Nunn, it opened on 5 June 1980 at the Aldwych Theatre in London. The music and lyrics were from Stephen Oliver and the set design was by John Napier and Dermot Hayes.^[1] It transferred to the Plymouth Theatre on Broadway, opening 4 October 1981 and running until 3 January 1982.^[2]

Productions

The original London Cast, most of whom played multiple roles, included Roger Rees as Nicholas, David Threlfall as Smike, Ben Kingsley as Squeers, Bob Peck as John Browdie and Sir Mulberry Hawk, John Woodvine as Ralph Nickleby, Susan Littler as Kate, Edward Petherbridge as Newman Noggs, Timothy Spall as Young Wackford and Mr. Folair, John McEnery as Mr. Mantolini, William the Waiter and Mr. Snevellicci, Graham Crowden as Mr. Vincent Crummles and Walter Bray, and Suzanne Bertish as Fanny Squeers, Peg Sliderscew and Miss Snevelicci, among many others.^[1] Some parts were recast in November 1980, with Fulton MacKay playing Squeers, Emily Richard taking the role of Kate Nickleby and Christopher Benjamin as Crummles.^[3] Ben Kingsley and Timothy Spall had left the company by the time the production moved to Broadway and were replaced by Alun Armstrong and Ian McNeice respectively.^[2] When the Alwych production closed in the summer of 1981 the set was moved to the Old Vic Theatre and the work filmed for a four-part mini-series by Channel Four Television and Masterpiece Theatre (WGBH Boston).^[4]

The production was revived for the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in January 1986. A second Broadway production ran from 24 August 1986 to 12 October 1986 at the Broadhurst Theatre and won the 1987 Tony Award for Best Revival.^[5]

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 in the West End.

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.^[6]
• 1982 Tony Award for Best Play

Nominations

• 1987 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play

References