The programme (costing 45p!!) informs me the running time was some 9 ¼ hours with a total interval time of just 39 minutes. I saw it in 1981 at the Aldwych Theatre in what was basically an all day sitting. It lives on now with near legendary status and is justifiably spoken of in hushed tones by those who were actually there at a performance. The production was, apparently, in danger of capsizing throughout rehearsal, many of the critics were sniffy and the huge acclaim it garnered in Britain and America was somewhat unexpected. The whole was melded together by directors Trevor Nunn and John Caird within the brilliant designs of John Napier. Thus, there is tragedy, comedy, pathos, pastiche, dancing, singing, ensemble work, choral speaking, innovative staging and most importantly a clear sense of Dickens’ voice. David Edgar, the adapter, was charged with bringing the whole book to the stage rather than, as had been the case before, selected extracts and one of the brilliant things about this version is that it does so by preserving the varied tones of the original. But I’m pleased to report that it was a triumph then and it’s a triumph now.ĭickens’ original sprawling novel was one of his earliest and written in his trademark serial form incorporating a vast canvas of characters from all walks of life. It was not without a little trepidation, therefore, that I approached a recording of this event after forty years, thinking that time and changing tastes might have knocked this production from its perch. Whenever I am asked the question, “What’s the best thing you’ve ever seen on stage?” I invariably respond that it is the RSC’s Nicholas Nickleby.

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