The Old Curiosity Shop
by Charles Dickens
adapted by Pat Whymark & Julian Harries
Touring East Anglia - 25th October to 25th November 2017
Little Nell Trent lives with her devoted grandfather in his
London shop, a magical place filled from wall to wall with dust-laden
treasures. He keeps his nocturnal gambling a secret but becomes deeply in debt
to the villainous loan shark Quilp. When he gambles away what little money they
have, The Old Curiosity Shop is seized by Quilp as payment and Nell and
her grandfather are forced to flee London. On the run, and with Quilp on their trail,
the pair fall in with a succession of colourful characters, some friendly, some
ominous.
The novel was a sensation when it was serialised in 1940-41. The excitement at the release of the last
installment has been compared to the publishing of the last Harry Potter novel,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was so popular that New York
readers stormed the wharf when the ship bearing the final instalment arrived in
1841.
In The Old Curiosity Shop, Dickens gave to the world some of his most enduring fictional characters, such as the almost demonic Daniel Quilp, the rakish but good-hearted Dick Swiveller and "The Marchioness"
Karl Marx asserted that Dickens "issued to the world more political and social truths than have been uttered by all the professional politicians, publicists and moralists put together".
Our production will feature original folk music by Pat Whymark, played and sung by our talented troupe of actor-musicians.
About Common Ground...
Common Ground Theatre Co was set up in 2007 by Pat Whymark and Julian Harries to create new music theatre. We have been touring steadily since then, mainly within East Anglia, producing eighteen new plays which have been received stunning reviews both here and in London. We have received funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, The Suffolk Foundation, The Seckford Foundation, Suffolk Youth Ops, The Brook Trust and Suffolk Single Gateway.
Common Ground are committed to keeping small-scale theatre alive and well in East Anglia, presenting shows that are, first and foremost, entertaining. Our productions are character-based and always emotionally engaging.
Julian Harries & Pat Whymark are the creative team behind The Mystery of St Finnigan's Elbow,Dial M For Murgatroyd& many more Eastern Angles xmas shows, and it is that sense of playfulness that we hope runs through all our work. As an actor Julian has appeared in Eastenders, Detectorists, Spies of Warsaw, Doctors, and performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company, Royal National Theatre and in the West End.
“The spoof to beat all spoofs”(The Observer) “Blissfull” (The Times) "Madcap comedy gold"(The Stage)"A marvellous romp...should delight even the most jaded of viewers" - (In Suffolk) (from reviews of recent Whymark-Harries productions)