This article was published in the 2009 Year in Review issue of The Daily Tar Heel.
PlayMakers Repertory Company’s fall production of Charles Dickens’ serial novel “Nicholas Nickleby,” was an epic undertaking requiring 25 actors to perform more than 150 roles.
A performance that required extensive work both onstage and behind the scenes, “Nicholas Nickleby” was divided into two parts that were performed in rotation, running nearly seven hours combined.
“In our culture there’s a return to long storytelling after the sound bite,” said Ray Dooley, who played Nicholas’ antagonistic Uncle Ralph, in a November interview. “That’s the attraction of ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lost.’”
Despite the play’s length, the story of “Nicholas Nickleby” is simple.
“It’s about a family that loses everything,” said Tom Quaintance, co-director of the play, in a November interview. “Nicholas is charged with finding a way in a world where the economy is pitiless.”
Much of the play is spent exploring personalities of characters and multiple settings.
“It’s less about the plot than the story’s tapestry as Nicholas travels through worlds,” said Joseph Haj, who directed the play with Quaintance, in a November interview.
While the length of the novel created logistical challenges for the production, it also provided creative license for the performers.
Unlike “A Christmas Carol” or other works by Dickens, “Nicholas Nickleby” has not been performed extensively, granting the artists greater creative control of their characters.
Theatergoers responded enthusiastically to PlayMakers’ efforts with more than 15,000 tickets for “Nicholas Nickleby” already sold by Dec. 3.
The show opened on Nov. 11 and runs through Dec. 20.
Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.
