On Stage & Screen:
Dickens adaptations strive for great expectations

The novels and short stories of Charles Dickens have been a staple of the stage and silver screen for years. Even a casual search of the Internet for films and television movies based on his work yields a list a mile long. And with every stage actor worth his (or her) salt yearning to walk the stage at least once in their career and speak the rhythms of Dickens’ descriptive prose, you have quite a demand for his work. It would seem that virtually everyone in the creative arts has had a yen to take a stab at adapting the master’s work.

The following is a sampling of the best and brightest of those attempts:

DICKENS ON THE BOARDS

Both Broadway and regional companies have mounted their share of plays, musicals and even one-man shows based on the works of Dickens. And it is not a recent phenomenon by far. For instance, the Internet Broadway Database lists a production of Oliver Twist which had its opening night on Valentine’s Day in 1860! But on to some more recent examples.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby is perhaps the most spectacular adaptation to date. Presented in two parts in repertory, this Royal Shakespeare Co. production was cheered by audiences in both its London and New York runs. Starring Roger Rees in the title role and featuring a laundry list of the best British character actors of the 1980s, patrons often caught Part 1 for a matinee, went out to dinner, then came back for Part 2 that same evening. Orinda’s California Shakespeare Theater just produced a critically praised revival this past summer.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood was an intriguing entry in the musical arena. Suggested by the unfinished Dickens mystery novel, the 1985 Joseph Papp production — with music, book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes — enjoyed a successful two-year Broadway run of 608 performances. Adopting an English music-hall style, the melodrama featured an audience vote each night to determine who the murderer was. The actors had to be on their toes as they were called on to prepare multiple solutions based on the whims of the voters.

There are also some notable Broadway failures to mention. Copperfield, a musical version of David Copperfield, ran only 13 performances in 1981. And Pickwick – I think I sense a trend here – a musical based on The Pickwick Papers, enjoyed a modest 56-performance run in 1965.

A production of A Tale of Two Cities was mounted by San Francisco’s A.C.T. during its 1989-1990 season. The Nagle Jackson adaptation enjoyed a run at the Orpheum Theater, one of the company’s temporary homes while the Geary Theater was undergoing repairs necessitated by the 1989 earthquake.

The one-man show Emlyn Williams as Charles Dickens first opened in New York in 1952 and has been revived both on Broadway and in touring productions ever since. Williams can therefore lay claim to the same territory as Hal Holbrook and James Whitmore, who made a career of their oft-revived solo portraits of Mark Twain, Will Rogers and Harry Truman.

But it is perhaps A Christmas Carol that has been adapted to the stage most frequently, from Broadway to a plethora of regional and community stages. Locally, A.C.T. has presented its own adaptation virtually every Christmas season since 1976. Right down the road, you can see Center Repertory’s excellent annual production this season at the Dean Lesher Center. And if you are very lucky, you might be in New York or Los Angeles when Patrick Stewart rewards his fans and puts on one of his Christmas Carol one-man shows. He plays every part and even does the sound effects. There is an audio recording available commercially that is worth searching for.

DICKENS ON FILM & TV

As noted above, the list of Dickens film adaptations is as long as your arm, so we’ll just hit the highlights.

The 1968 movie version of the musical Oliver! is our first stop. Directed by Carol Reed, this faithful adaptation of the stage musical starred Ron Moody as Fagin, Mark Lester as Oliver, Oliver Reed as Sikes, and Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger. It was nominated for several Oscars and won for Best Art Direction, Best Director, Best Score, Best Sound, and Best Picture. For you trivia fans, it was the last G Rated movie to win Best Picture honors.
Other adaptations of Oliver Twist abound in the history of film – right up to today. One of the earliest examples is a 1922 silent starring Lon Chaney as Fagin and Jackie Coogan as Oliver. The Cadillac of celluloid versions though is the 1948 David Lean edition starring Alec Guinness as Fagin and Anthony Newley as the Artful Dodger. Disney made an animated version called Oliver & Company in 1988, set in a world of cats and dogs on the streets of New York. An odd modern take on the story titled Twist (2003) placed the story in the Toronto street hustling scene. And Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski just released his own film version this fall starring Ben Kingsley as Fagin.

A Christmas Carol is extremely well-represented in this department, as well. The haunting and funny Scrooge (1951) starring Alistair Sim is my favorite of the lot. A close second is the 1970 movie musical of the same title starring Albert Finney, with music by Leslie Bricusse. But some of the more notable versions have also been seen on the small screen. For a treat, check out the TV movie version starring George C. Scott or Henry Winkler in An American Christmas Carol. And top it off with Patrick Stewart’s most recent effort, if you haven’t had your fill yet. But for a truly off-the-wall experience, rent Bill Murray’s film Scrooged, which chronicles the trials of a soulless modern-day TV executive who is given one more chance to make amends before he airs a crass and commercial Christmas Eve TV special. And for the little ones, there’s always the animated versions starring everyone from Mickey Mouse to Mr. Magoo to the Muppets.

Great Expectations and Nicholas Nickleby have also appeared on screen in various incarnations both old and new. The 1946 Great Expectations directed by David Lean featured John Mills, Jean Simmons, and Alec Guinness and a 1998 update boasts Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow and Anne Bancroft. As for Nickleby, a 1947 version starred Derek Bond, Cedric Hardwicke, Stanley Holloway and Sally Ann Howes and a 2002 edition featured Charlie Hunnam, Tom Courtenay, and Christopher Plummer.

Lastly, A Tale of Two Cities was also represented on celluloid with a classic 1935 entry starring Ronald Colman and a 1958 remake starring Dirk Bogarde, both going to the “far, far better rest than [they] had ever known.”