Reviews from UK Tour
“This stunning adaptation is not to be missed… All the actors are exceptional and bring to life this eerie story with great performances”
STV - Aberdeen
“***** stunning… extraordinary… remarkable… superb”
Birmingham Mail
“it may be another two hundred years before an adaptation of such quality as this is produced”
UK Theatre Network
“exciting, thrilling, dynamic high level of production… a very atmospheric, stylistically stunning show”
thepublicreviews.com
“POIGNANT AND DEEPLY TRAGIC… WONDERFULLY EXECUTED… DARKLY ORIGINAL AND EXCITING”
ayoungertheatre.com
“confident and intuitive adaptation of the tale trims it down to a lean 2 hours and lends the story a great sense of pace and vitality… a captivating and brilliantly told tale”
The Shuttle
“A thrilling, imaginative adaptation that deserves a wide audience – see it if you can!”
thepublicreviews.com - Aylesbury
“wowed the Aberdeen audience with its intense story-telling, atmospheric staging and incredible performances… a masterclass in staging and design”
STV - Aberdeen
“Jo Clifford's talent is in condensing a complex novel to a two hour play… she has created a seamless narrative”
Guide 2 Brighton
“a visionary theatrical reminder of a classic… an unashamedly lavish production”
Southern Daily Echo
“a stunning production with monstrous larger-than-life characters and ghoulish memories of times gone by which return to haunt the living”
Bucks Herald
“great production enhanced by a great cast… beautiful set and wonderful costumes… if you don’t see anything else this year see this!”
thepublicreviews.com
“production values throughout the show were never anything less than utterly outstanding”
UK Theatre Network
“Clifford’s version is clever and clear… haunting and effective… a beautiful gothic wonder of a play”
thepublicreviews.com - Aylesbury
“full of style, atmosphere, anguish and period… blown away by the whole theatrical experience… what theatre should be all about”
GC Jel
“Whether you've read the book or not, go and see it – your expectations will be well rewarded”
Inspire Magazine
“INVENTIVE… BRAINSTORMING ADVENTURE… INTELLIGENT, PROVOCATIVE AND SCARY”
Surrey Advertiser
“Jack Ellis as the unscrupulous solicitor Jaggers is almost unrecognisable… Chris Ellison as the convict Magwitch is superb”
STV - Aberdeen
“Magwitch, played by Chris Ellison, transforms in an instant from kindly fellow to frightening vermin and emphasises the poetry of Dickens’s dialogue”
thepublicreviews.com - Aylesbury
“a well presented, interesting take on the story of the class system, of the justice of the time, of abuse and of love”
Southern Daily Echo
“Adult Pip played with great style by Paul Nivison… young Pip played well by Taylor Jay-Davies”
thepublicreviews.com - Aylesbury
“Of particular note is Taylor Jay-Davis in the demanding rôle of Young Pip… expertly portrays the journey from boy to manhood, together with all the pain and confusion that accompanies this”
STV - Aberdeen
“Young Pip, sensitively played by Taylor Jay-Davies; narrated by Adult Pip (Paul Nivison) remains in tandem with his younger self - cleverly come together for an end that sees a shocking revelation”
Salisbury Journal
“Paul Nivison (Adult Pip) gives confident voice to the emotion that led his younger self towards heartbreak”
The Brighton Argus
“fast-paced, slick and engaging… Paula Wilcox is truly brilliant - simultaneously pitiful and pitiless”
thepublicreviews.com
“Great use of an interesting set/lighting, good pace throughout, great range of characters/performances – overall an impressive, slick production”
thepublicreviews.com
“Paula Wilcox's Miss Havisham is perfectly demented and chilling… The stage and screen actress is mesmerising in this tragic role”
STV - Aberdeen
“Paula Wilcox captivates as jilted bride Miss Havisham Chris Ellison - striking as terrifying convict Magwitch”
Salisbury Journal
“Miss Havisham, played with great gusto by Paula Wilcox… Grace Rowe as Estella just the right mixture of haughtiness and vulnerability”
thepublicreviews.com - Aylesbury
“an intriguingly gothic and suitably eerie theatre experience that should be equally accessible and enjoyable to both the ardent Dickens enthusiast and casual theatre-going audience”
The Shuttle
“You do not have to be a fan of Dickens to enjoy this show – just a fan of high quality theatre”
Teesdale Mercury
“extraordinary range of characters… Paula Wilcox impresses as Miss Havisham… superb performance from Taylor Jay-Davies as young orphan Pip”
Birmingham Mail
“a massive production, lavish in every sense and never once lacking the real heart of a Dickens, that fine balance of tragedy, comedy, horror, fear and philanthropy”
thelatest.co.uk
“mean, moody and thrillingly atmospheric… a rare jewel of a production… one of those must-see works of quality”
West Sussex Gazette
“A strangely delirious, haunting and transfixing spectacle… bound to take the West End by storm”
Guide 2 Brighton
“an exquisite show that was altogether more ambitious than any other adaptation of a period piece that I can think of”
UK Theatre Network
“stand out performance is perhaps given by Isabelle Joss as the whining and nasty Mrs Joe”
STV - Aberdeen
“this remarkable production, cleverly adapted by Jo Clifford, exceeds expectations”
Birmingham Mail
“fine contributions from Paul Nivison, James Vaughan, Steve North, Isabelle Joss and Jack Ellis… Chris Ellison a suitably menacing Magwitch”
Birmingham Mail
“One of the finest scenes has Paul Nivison's Pip describing the mass sentencing of a group of men, women and children who are to be hanged… a heartfelt excoriation of the Victorian penal system”
gscene.com
“captivating cast… spellbinding story-telling… beautiful set and costumes… an awesome show”
thepublicreviews.com
“Paula Wilcox was jaw droppingly cruel as damaged gentlewoman Miss Havisham”
Sussex Express
“new and audacious… lovely set, sumptuous costumes… superb lighting and sound effects… a real treat”
thepublicreviews.com
“the lawyer Jaggers (Jack Ellis) elicits our sympathy, in the end, with a lovely change of style and pace.”
thepublicreviews.com - Aylesbury
“an eerie night's entertainment… that challenged, chilled and chastened in equal measure”
Inspire Magazine
“Taylor Jay-Davies as Young Pip, a commoner with great expectations, at times, innocent, terrified and snobbish”
Sussex Express
“stellar performances all through the cast… the wailing and decaying wedding dress festooned Paula Wilcox as Miss Havisham”
Inspire Magazine
“Stellar performances… Chris Ellison's elusive Magwitch and the abrupt and deliberate lawyer Jaggers (Jack Ellis)”
Inspire Magazine
“Paula Wilcox’s Miss Havisham proved the most haunting…other notable performances from Grace Rowe as Estella and Jack Ellis as Jaggers”
Bognor Regis Observer
“treat yourself to a night at the theatre and a perfect introduction to one of literature’s great achievements”
The Shuttle
“Taylor Jay-Davies… a superbly naturalistic and incredibly transformative take on the central character”
The Shuttle
“Robin Peoples' wonderful imagination leads to a magnificent set… coupled with Kai Fischer’s lighting display, the pair have achieved magical special effects and a mood-setting aurora”
WhatsOnStage.com
“The fantastic visual and audio effects envelop and devour the stage”
thepublicreviews.com
“Paula Wilcox tackles Miss Havisham with terrific conviction… an eerie and sinister look that works perfectly”
WhatsOnStage.com
“Stellar performances… the scheming and lascivious James Vaughan as Wopsle”
Inspire Magazine
“Taylor Jay-Davies plays Pip perfectly… his understanding of the character is an immense treat”
WhatsOnStage.com
“an entertaining, confident and characterful take on a masterfully crafted story that remains compelling and accessible even to this day”
The Shuttle
“I have ‘Great Expectations’ of this fantastic new production becoming a huge hit in the West End”
Central Independent Newspapers
“Estella, played by Grace Rowe, was the epitome of stone-hearted - utterly brilliant”
What's On North East
“a version of the story which is the closest to how Dickens wanted his story to be known”
What's On North East
“Jo Clifford does a magnificent job in keeping the macabre, soul destroying darkness intact”
What's On North East
“a world of dark, circus-like horror which catapults the viewers onto an almost surreal and certainly unnerving trip amongst the Dickensian underbelly of life”
What's On North East
“AUDIENCE IS HELD ENRAPTURED BY THE CHILLING, PRIMAL HOWL PAULA WILCOX UNLEASHES AS MISS HAVISHAM”
The Richmond Magazine
“ISABELLE JOSS AND JAMES VAUGHAN AS THE HIDEOUSLY APPEALING MRS JOE AND WOPSLE, SET THE BAR EXTREMELY HIGH VERY EARLY ON WITH THEIR ENERGISED PERFORMANCES”
Worcester Standard
“AS MAGWITCH, CHRIS ELLISON STORMS IT, IMBUING THE CHARACTER WITH DIGNITY AND PATHOS - ELLISON HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER”
'Glad Night with the Pips' - Bum On A Seat - Blog
“YOUNG PIP PLAYED SUPERBLY BY THE FRESH-FACED TAYLOR JAY-DAVIES… PAUL NIVISON ADDS WELL-DIRECTED GRAVITAS AS ADULT PIP”
thepublicreviews.com
“JACK ELLIS GIVES AN EDIFYING PORTRAYAL OF PIP'S ABRUPT, SELF-POSSESSED GUARDIAN”
The Richmond Magazine
“A MAGICAL, DICKENSIAN CIRCUS OF HORRORS PRESENTED FOR YOUR DELECTATION”
Worcester Standard
“HAS FAR MORE IN COMMON WITH DICKENS' INTENT THAN SOME ADAPTATIONS AVAILABLE”
Surrey Advertiser
“GRANDIOSE… DELIGHTFULLY GOTHIC… DAZZLING DESIGN… YOU CAN'T HELP BEING TOUCHED AND CHILLED”
'Glad Night with the Pips' - Bum On A Seat - Blog
“EXCEPTIONAL… HURTLES THROUGH THE NARRATIVE WITHOUT LOSING ANY OF THE RAW INTENSITY OF THE ORIGINAL”
The Richmond Magazine
“BREATH-TAKING SET, SOPHISTICATED USE OF LIGHTING AND ELEGANT COSTUME ”
The Richmond Magazine
“THE ENTIRE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM MUST BE CONGRATULATED ON THIS EXQUISITE PRODUCTION”
Worcester Standard
“FADED GRANDEUR OF ROBIN PEOPLES' BREATH-TAKING SET SUPERBLY COMPLEMENTS THE ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT COSTUMES CREATED BY ANNIE GOSNEY AND GIOVANNI BEDIN”
Worcester Standard
“DELIVERS ON ALL ACCOUNTS… A DANGEROUS MIX OF ECCENTRICITY, MADNESS AND VULNERABILITY… EXPLOSIVE”
ayoungertheatre.com
“EXTRAVAGANT PRODUCTION… ATMOSPHERIC LIGHTING AND SOUND… DRAMATIC PHYSICAL AND VOCAL PORTRAYAL IS CAPTIVATING”
Worcester Standard
“Dickens staged with immense style, compelling throughout and brilliantly realised”
thelatest.co.uk
“an exemplary production… great set, performances which vividly bring to life a colourful cast of characters and a script which also has a keen eye on the social injustices of the book”
gscene.com
“Jack Ellis is stunning as Jaggers, a confident and imposing stage presence”
thelatest.co.uk
“a refreshing and glorious work of art… Dickens would have delighted in the wonderful and fantastic portrayals of the grotesque characters”
West Sussex Gazette
“a more accessible, beautifully staged and appealing take on this classic tale would be hard to find… entertaining perfection”
The Brighton Argus
“ingenious use of lighting… costumes rich and eye catching… the dialogue was waspish, to the extent that some of the characters’ retorts left you visibly wincing”
Sussex Express
“Stand out performances were Paula Wilcox's Miss Havisham, Taylor Jay-Davies' Young Pip and Chris Ellison's Magwitch”
Guide 2 Brighton
“Isabelle Joss pulls out all the comic stops as painted, overweening Mrs Joe, as does James Vaughan with his skillful portrayal of the oily Wopsle”
The Brighton Argus
“Paula Wilcox makes Miss Havisham her own… Paul Nivison and Taylor Jay-Davies are joined at the hip as Adult and Young Pip… the rest of the cast are truly exceptional”
thelatest.co.uk
“Paula Wilcox (Miss Havisham) and Grace Rowe (Estella) summon up great depths of feeling”
The Brighton Argus
“Chris Ellison plays a great Magwitch, that strange twist of criminal killer with whom we sympathise”
thelatest.co.uk
“Steve North has all the rustic innocence and heart to make Joe Gargery the constant thread the story so needs”
thelatest.co.uk
“Havisham's splendidly decaying mansion gives a wonderful dreamlike feeling to the proceedings”
gscene.com
“mightily impressive set… definitive lighting is acute and atmospheric… uber-gothic direction and vision… stunning costumes by Annie Gosney and Giovanni Bedin”
Guide 2 Brighton
“James Vaughan comes close to stealing the show as the terrible old ham, and rather malign influence, Wopsle - with his awkward movements and his red velvet top hat he resembles a Tim Burton animation ”
gscene.com
“Taylor Jay-Davies as Young Pip invests his character with a real sense of passion”
gscene.com
“Jack Ellis gives a commanding reading of the cynical lawyer Jaggers… Paula Wilcox is a suitably tortured, and torturing, Havisham… Chris Ellison gives a roughhewn dignity to Magwitch”
gscene.com
“relationship between Young Pip (Taylor Jay-Davies) and Magwitch (Chris Ellison) is touchingly realised”
The Brighton Argus
“UNUSUAL AND REFRESHING… STILL MANAGES TO WEAVE DICKENS' MAGIC ON US”
thepublicreviews.com
