Much like The Playhouse pioneering a theatrical take on Bronte’s Villette, Northampton based company, Royal & Derngate, are showcasing the first non-musical stage version of Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities. As part of its UK tour, their adaptation stopped in Bradford where LEO OWEN caught the show

DICKENS infamous line "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" opens the play, drawing obvious parallels with the current political climate and ever-present global divide between the rich and poor.

Designer Mike Britton’s worn wooden set smacks of withered grandeur, seamlessly providing the perfect backdrop for London courtrooms; the gluttony of the upper classes; the restless violence of those on the streets and the destitution of the poor. His set somehow remarkably manages to feel enormous in scope while undergoing minimal change with very few additional props: a long banquet table and candelabras are enough to conjure the luxuries of France’s ruling classes; the addition of a live recorder solo signifies a wedding; the appearance of a large scale graffiti-covered statue and scaffold silhouette epitomise France’s unrest.

Set during the French Revolution after “10 centuries of absolute rule” with repression being “the only lasting philosophy", the action is almost equally split between Paris and London. The trials and tribulations of Mr Charles Darnay (Jacob Ifan) are the heart of the story as he moves from being a political prisoner in the UK to repeatedly being re-arrested in his home country. While obviously based on fact during a time of serious unrest, Tale of Two Cities is essentially a romance with an intriguing central love triangle between ex-French aristocrat Darnay, drunken barrister Sydney Carton (Joseph Timms) and only child Lucie Manette (Shanaya Rafaat).

Adaptor Mike Poulton closely basis his stage version on source material, lifting whole sections of Dickens’ original dialogue while Director James Dacre skilfully transports us to the bleakest of times through the subtle addition of eerie music and atmospheric sound effects. As a child is trampled, amplified horse’s hooves evoke the hardships and dangers of eighteenth century living. The mob mentality of leering rebels is brought to life by the productions’ large cast, famous revolutionary chants ("Death to the old order!", "Liberty, equality, fraternity!"…) and stylised fight sequences. While all this violence is fundamental to the time, choreography and/or execution is one of the show’s only weaknesses with duellers and murderous appearing a tad slapstick.

Aside from some poorly timed thrusts and the need to bemoan Dickens’ tendency to write irritatingly sentimentalised lead females, there is very little to criticise. Finally seeing A Tale of Two Cities on a stage (musicals aside), it’s frankly puzzling it wasn’t adapted sooner so topical is its material: coups, patriotism, polarisation, self-sacrifice… Watch to draw fascinating modern parallels while enjoying Dickens’ occasional light humour and rousing rather brave final scene.

A Tale of Two Cities showed at Alhambra 4- 8 October: http://touringconsortium.co.uk/show/twocities/