The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby [DVD] [1982]

Originally staged by the RSC in the early 80's at the Aldwych Theatre, this version was taped at the Old Vic before the company took the show to New York. At times, an audience is visible (and audible), especially when various characters leave the stage to wander or race through the aisles or along the front of the balcony. It must have been a wonderful experience. But the DVD compensdates us for not being actually there by providing that which you cannot get in a theatre - close-ups of the actors. Only once is this overdone - when Ralph Nickleby is finally denounced, the camera lingers much too long on an extreme close-up as other characters are only heard revealing the sins of his past. But other times, such as during the silences between lines or the looks between characters, the close-ups are quite wonderful.

A cast of 30-some actors portray about 150 characters between them. Of course, doubling or even tripling is an ancient theatrical convention. But never have I seen it used as effectively as here. Only Roger Rees, as Nicholas, plays a single part. The others are outstanding in their versatility. This is real acting we are witnessing.

The nine hours divided into four acts spread over three discs. Each act is divided into two or three parts, each with the same opening and closing credits. This makes it possible to watch in installments although one at a time never seems enough. My wife insisted that we watch the entire 167 minute final disc in one sitting. The time flies by.

The story is typical Dickens, full of noble poor people and disreputable rich ones, with complex plotlines that would be the envy of any modern soap, complete with Dickens' famous penchant for incredible coincidences. But this is more than mere melodrama and everything about the production combines to make it all fresh and exciting and involving. These are characters you genuinely care about (or, in a few instances, love to hate). And there will not be a dry eye in the house during Smike's final scene.

As I said, all the actors are brilliant but most memorable are Roger Rees (who seemed born to play the part), David Threlfall as Smike (an astonishing performance), John Woodvine as the evil Ralph Nickleby (cool underplaying with bursts of temper), Alun Armstrong as Squeers, the villain from hell, Edward Petherbridge as Newman Noggs, Suzanne Bertish is several roles, a pre-Edge of Darkness Bob Peck as two wildly different characters, and Emily Richard in the thankless role of goody-goody Kate Nickleby. By the way, fans of Allo Allo will be amazed by Rose Hill (the silly old bat) who effortlessly steals more than one scene.

The DVD has no extras and doesn't really need them. The picture and sound are crisp and clear. Although the final part of Act Three seems to end rather abruptly.

One word to anyone who has never seen this production. Act One is decidely grim and occasionally brutal. When this was first shown on television, I knew several people who never got beyond that part. But don't give up. Once Nicholas rebels against Squeers and leaves the school, everything lightens up considerably. And no one should miss the marvellous finale to Act Two when Nicholas and a travelling theatre company perform the final scene from Romeo and Juliet, complete with exaggerated Victorian acting and a happy ending ("I wasn't dead - I was stunned")!

I'm absolutely delighted that Nicholas Nickleby has become available on DVD. I recommend it to anyone who loves theatre, great acting or just a rollicking good old-fashioned story.

Of course, Dickens' book is wonderful, the story and characters are marvellous and Trevor Nunn's adaption is amazing. And the cast then - WOW! As the others said, only Roger Rees has one part, Nicholas Nickleby, and it's easy to see it would be rather impossible to give him other parts, Nicholas being on stage so much. Others have several parts from opera singers to clouds and walls. (Thank you for the leaflet that has the cast and their roles) Rees is a bit old for his part but still creates a very believable, innocent Nicholas. On the other hand: schoolboys are all adults and such is great acting, that you don't want to laugh when they claim to be 7 or 8 years old. Smike is - of course - the most heartbreaking of them, twisted from head to toe, pale and crippled, o-u-t-cast, as he himself says.

The Squeers family stands out, with excellent performances by Alun Armstrong as Mr. Squeers, Lila Kaye as Mrs. Squeers and later as Mrs. Crummles, another kind of 'femme formidable', and Suzanne Bertish, who has to envied and admired for such diverse and delicious parts as Fanny Squeers, Miss Snevellici and Peg Sliderskew, the old hag. They are horrible and wonderful and hilarious! And you don't wonder a bit, why the audience roars, when they get what they so rightly deserve. Alun Armstrong is the first in the closing credits, but he really deserves that place for more than alphabetical reasons.

Uncle Ralph, John Woodvine, is chilling - and it's worth seeing him as an opera singer and just a few moments later as Ralph Nickleby again. And Newman Noggs with his wonderful, droopy face is priceless! I also enjoyed so much the short 'what has happened so far' -scenes at the beginning of acts.

This is theatre at its best, I've never seen anything like this and - I'm afraid - will not see again. My only complaints are technical ones. The picture and sound are good, but why do we have to see the closing credits more than ten times? The acts have been cut into 2-3 parts, so that if you need to stop watching, you don't have to watch the whole act when you can resume watching - but still some of the parts are over 50 minutes long and if you need to stop, you have to fast forward to where you were. And every part ends with those credits. Fortunately you can skip them. Technical flaws aside, this is immortal.