Director Abigail Pickard Price talks new stage adaptation of ‘David Copperfield’: “David’s life is somewhat ordinary and yet it feels like a real adventure”

Following its inaugural run at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre, the show returns next month for a new limited season at Guilford’s Holy Trinity Church, bringing back one of Dickens’s most celebrated titles through a three-hander adaptation. Guillermo Nazara chats with one of its lead creatives to learn more about the piece’s development and how recalling this tale of the past will work some influence upon the present.

How does it feel to premiere this new adaptation of Charles Dickens’s beloved classic

What a treat it has been to delve into Dickens’ magical world. In David, he has created a character with a vivid imagination, a wonderful storyteller. Where better to see the world of this character come to life through his own eyes but on stage?

What prompted you to choose this piece among other classics?

Having adapted Pride and Prejudice for the stage in 2024, Sarah Gobran, Matt Pinches and I explored a number of classic texts for a new venture. The vividness of David’s world, as painted by Dickens, immediately sucked us in. Amongst other things, he paints the most extraordinary characters who we were excited to explore theatrically.

What do you think makes this Victorian tale still resonate with modern viewers?

This is a coming-of-age story; a boy trying to find his place in the world, being pushed and pulled through it by other characters. In many respects, David’s life is somewhat ordinary and yet, when you read it in one hit and through the lens of a character who can paint brilliant pictures, suddenly it seems extraordinary, a real adventure. We see a boy navigating loss and love, this is an exploration of human emotion over the course of a lifetime.

David Copperfield has been adapted countless times in every possible media. Does it make it more challenging to create a new version of it?

I have found seeing how it has been adapted in the past very informative. It is fascinating to see how one text can inform so many quite different interpretations. It is an epic novel and can be explored in so many ways. Our remit was very specific — creating a piece for three actors with a lightness of touch. We want to celebrate the story; to find it’s real heart, but be playful with it — something that is somewhat different to what has been done in the past.  

How difficult is it to split all the roles into only three actors?

Very! However, much credit must go to the amazing cast who make it work — they are chopping and changing at a huge pace. If they weren’t able to do this, the whole thing would fall apart!

What has the development process been like?

Fast, furious, and lots of fun!

Has the show evolved in any way between its original London premiere and the upcoming tour?

It has had to evolve due to the change in stage space. Jermyn Street Theatre, where we opened the show, was much shallower than the spaces we are taking it to subsequently, so the show has had to expand outwards. With this we need to find new ways of retaining the intimacy with the audience and the strict timings involved in costume changes.

The show employs suitcases and puppetry as part of its staging. Can you tell us more about the theatrical language you’ve used and the reasons behind it?

The story is told from David’s point of view. And for a large part of the story, he is a child — it begins when he is seven years old. The puppetry and a lot of the less literal elements are there to build a language where the audience are seeing the story through David’s eyes and invited to imagine these people and places with him. For example, a large hat and coat presents a more menacing presence for Mr Murdstone as the viewers are invited to join the dots as to what is underneath.

Have you found any particular creative challenges with this piece?

The biggest challenge has probably been condensing such an epic novel into a short, nippy piece on stage with so few actors. I hope we have risen to this challenge or, at least, we have had fun trying!

Why come see David Copperfield?

It is a piece with enormous heart, I hope we can make you laugh and cry, that we can drive away some of the post-Christmas blues.

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Headshot credit to Lisa Bowerman. Production pictures credit to Steve Gregson.

David Copperfield will play at Holy Trinity Church, High Street, Guildford from 6 to 28 February. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara