The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

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Nicholas Nickleby was an 8½ hour long adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel, performed in 2 parts.  Part 1 was 4 hours in length with one interval of 15 minutes.  Part 2 was 4½ hours in length with two intervals of 12 minutes.

The opening night was on the 5th June 1980.  The show ran for an 8 week season at the Aldwych Theatre, playing Part 1 on some nights and Part 2 on others with both parts playing together on matinée and evening performances.

It was revived for 2 further 8 week runs at the Aldwych in the autumn season of 1980 and the spring season of 1981 before being filmed for Primetime TV at the Old Vic Theatre and transferring to Broadway for the autumn season of 1981.

The creative team was the same for all the revivals.  The cast changed a little from one revival to the next.  The cast list below is for the first performance in 1980 and a second cast list with subsequent changes at the Aldwych.

The cast that filmed the show and went to Broadway is listed on a separate page.

A further revival with a substantially different cast played at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford and toured to Los Angeles and Broadway in 1985. The creative team and cast for that production are also listed on a separate page.

Olivier Awards – 1980

Designer of the Year – John Napier and Dermot Hayes
Director of the Year – Trevor Nunn and John Caird
Actor of the Year in a New Play – Roger Rees for the role of Nicholas Nickleby
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role – David Threlfall for the role of Smike
Actor of the Year in a Supporting Role – Edward Petherbridge for the role of Newman Noggs (Nomination)
Actress of the Year in a Supporting Role – Suzanne Bertish for the roles of Fanny Squeers, Miss Snevellicci and Peg Sliderskew.
Play of the Year – The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens adapted by David Edgar