Grantham Dramatic Society’s production of Bleak Expectations puts twist on Charles Dickens’ classic

The Grantham Dramatic Society’s next production opened this week.

The group’s production of Bleak Expectations, a parody of one of Charles Dickens' classic stories, opened on Wednesday (November 15) and runs until tomorrow (Saturday) at the Guildhall Arts Centre.

The play follows the “wild adventure” of “half-orphan” Pip Bin, looking at his beginnings at boarding school, to finding and losing his fortune.

Lead Director Rosemary Gibson said: “I’m a huge fan of Dickens, but also a fan of comedy, so this was a perfect combination for me and I couldn’t resist taking on this challenge.

“I’ve worked with co-directors Sophie Read and Lesley Sparrow too, because it’s such a big cast and fast-moving story.

“I’ve been trying to work my way through Dickens’ full repertoire, and it’s been really fun spotting all the references and in-jokes.

“You definitely don’t need to be a Dickens aficionado though, it’s a wonderfully silly story that lovingly lampoons one of Britain’s favourite authors.

“We love bringing completely new shows to Grantham whenever we can, so we’re delighted to be among the first groups to perform this play.

“Everyone involved in the production has fully thrown themselves into the fun and into their characters, and we hope audiences will turn out in force to see this hilarious show.”

The play is based on an original BBC Radio Four comedy series which won multiple awards.

Tickets are on sale at https://www.guildhallartscentre.com/whats-on/all-shows/bleak-expectations-grantham-dramatic-society.

Alternatively, they can be purchased through the Guildhall Box Office by calling 01476 406158.

Tickets cost £12 and for concessions or groups of six or more cost £10.