A live cinema broadcast of the West End gala opening night of Great Expectations will be screened across the UK and worldwide from the Vaudeville Theatre on Dickens’ birthday – February 7 – and right here in Peterborough.
The live screening is on at Showcase Cinema Thursday February 7 at 6.45pm.
Although it is Dickens’s most popular novel(Guardian Poll 2012, Publishers Weekly) and has previously had many incarnations, including as a film, a television drama and even a stage musical, this will be the first time there’s ever been a production of GREAT EXPECTATIONS as a full-scale stage play in either the West End or on Broadway.
The West End Première of GREAT EXPECTATIONS will star Jack Ellis as Jaggers, Chris Ellison as Magwitch and Paula Wilcox as Miss Havisham. The cast of 13 also includes Paul Nivison as Adult Pip, Grace Rowe as Estella and Taylor Jay-Davies as Young Pip.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS, which was originally published between 1 December 1860 and 3 August 1861, has been adapted for the stage by Jo Clifford, one of Scotland’s leading playwrights.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS is directed by Graham McLaren, with set by Robin Peoples, costumes by Annie Gosney and Graham McLaren, lighting by Kai Fischer, original music by Simon Slater and sound by Matt McKenzie. Giovanni Bedin, Head Couturier for House of Worth, has worked with Annie Gosney on the creation of Estella’s couture gowns for the show. Charles Frederick Worth, the world’s first official couturier, was a contemporary of Charles Dickens.
The Dickens Legacy has been launched alongside the stage show to receive a royalty share of box office. Set up by the producer with Lucinda Dickens Hawksley (great, great, great grand-daughter of Charles Dickens), it will distribute funds to concerns dealing with issues Dickens was passionate about, such as: prison reform, adoption, literacy etc. The Dickens Legacy is also supporting Tuesday evening performances, when, for every full price adult ticket, a child under 16 goes free (subject to availability).
GREAT EXPECTATIONS is sponsored by House of Worth and Rocco Venezia.
