Young actors at the College gave an accomplished and highly captivating performance when they presented Nicolas Nickleby in December. The comedy, by Charles Dickens, staged at the Leo Price Theatre, is the tale of a young Nicolas Nickleby (Jack Kenning and Robert Macintosh) who is left head of the family after his father’s death – and was brilliantly delivered to make those watching feel humour in one scene and sorrow in the next. His uncle, the callous Ralph Nickleby (George Smith) sends him off to be an assistant at Dotheboys Hall, run by the evil Mr Squeers (Stephen Long) and his grotesque family (Rosie Gibson, Frankie Georgiou and Robert Atkins). Nicholas eventually manages to run away, bringing the ill-treated Smike (Dan Huggett) with him. Nicholas returns home to find his sister (Samantha Barden) being harassed by his uncle’s friends (played hilariously by Sam Pringle, Zeeshan Ahmed, Perry Hake and Charles Harrison-Dees). Mr Squeers follows Nicholas to complain to his uncle bringing along John and Matilda, (Nick Maywood and Charlotte Aitchison) and Nicolas finally escapes to Devon and the promise of a happy life with his sister Kate and Smike. But not everyone gets their happy ending, with Smith succumbing to illness and Ralph Nickleby eventually taking his own life after discovering Smike is his son.

With so many fantastic performances I hardly know where to begin in congratulating all those involved. Both Nicolas’s were performed with great enthusiasm, the damaged Smike was portrayed ingeniously by Dan Huggett, and special mention must go to Frankie Georgiou as Mr Squeers’s hysterical daughter and Robert Atkins as Mr Squeers’s pompous son. Sam Pringle was especially accomplished as one of the men harassing poor Kate while Gilbert Farmer raised many laughs as Mr Knox, Ralph Nickleby’s drunken assistant. Nick Maywood was very believable as John, the kind husband of Fanny’s friend Matilda (Charlotte Aitchison) and George Smith was superbly cast as the sombre Ralph Nickleby. Solos by Robert Macintosh and Imogen Bakelmun also added a charming touch to the performance. In all a brilliantly delivered play that was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. 

Review by Hannah Clack