It was always going to be a tough ask for anyone to turn Charles Dickens' classic novel "Great Expectations" into an enjoyable musical.
Even harder considering Steven Meo, who plays lead character Pip, was performing in his
first-ever musical production.
But hats off to director Tim Baker and his cast as this famous play certainly lived up to expectations.
The story, a common Blacksmith's apprentice trying to become a gentleman whilst falling in love with a girl taught to have no feelings, isn't an easy one to portray.
It took 500 pages for Dickens to do it, so to condense such a tale into a two-hour musical whilst trying to explore in-depth the characters' motives is easier said than done.
An impressive background set the tone, with grey clouds and flickering candlelight portraying some of the play's darker undertones.
The musical productions were entetaining, a refreshing change to adaptions of Dickens' classics, which so often stick to prose.
Steven Meo made a fantastic Pip, capturing the audience's heart as the common boy, and managing to keep it throughout his transformation into a snooty gentleman.
Steffan Rhodri was superb as Joe Gargery while Simon Watts drew constant laughs from the crowd with his comical performance of Herbert.
It was obvious, at times, that the character personalities had been condensed.
Although the heartless Estella was played superbly by Eleanor Howell, you felt the character was never exploited as much as it could have been.
There is no doubt, to really appreciate the social message Dickens tries to promote, reading the book is imperative.
But if you're looking for a fun night out, Tim Baker's adaptation of Great Expectations is a real treat.
Rating: 8/10
Belinda, Wirral around 2 years, 10 months ago