Reviewer Name: Donna

Review by Gregory Holyoake: What Larks! Charles Dickens’ episodic tale ‘Great Expectations’ has been transformed into a joyous musical production by Gordon Clarkson. First performed in the author’s seaside town of Broadstairs, by a talented company of 7 performers who sing, dance and act to perfection – bringing alive a host of memorable characters from the enduring Victorian novel. Imaginative staging with clever minimalistic scenery and vibrant costumes by Joy Clarkson and Ronny Young, gives a grand scale to the production. Short, snappy scenes range from the bleak north Kent marshes to the bustling streets of London. Clarkson’s joyous production whips through the engaging story of Pip, a clumsy blacksmith’s boy, who aspires to become a gentleman and secure the affection of Estella, ward of the vindictive, Miss Havisham. The eccentric recluse inhabits a rambling mansion still dressed in the crumbling wedding attire she wore on the day she was jilted at the altar. A most effective first scene reveals her courtship of a bounder, thus explaining her intense bitterness and avowed intention to break all men’s hearts. The songs by Laurie Hornsby have catchy tunes and audacious rhymes that vary from the witty chorus, ‘A Crusty Pie’, to the heroine’s haunting melody , ‘I Have No Heart’. Hornsby is also responsible for the book. There are robust characterisations from Frank Tucker as Magwitch and Pumblechook, and a fine performance from Joseph Wyatt as the lovelorn Pip. The melodrama reaches its conclusion when Pip’s true benefactor reveals himself one dark, foggy night and, in Dickensian style, turns his grand new lifestyle upon its head. Gordon, himself, as actor/ manager narrates the tale and plays the furtive lawyer, Jaggers performs the penultimate song, with his meritorious solo ‘The Richest Man’. Dickens’ intricate story is delivered at a cracking pace and deserves to be seen by a wide audience. Gregory Holyoake