Download david mynne presents a one-man performance of

david mynne presents
a o n e -m a n p e r f o r ma n c e o f
by charles dickens
http://mynne.com/theatre.html
WILDFIRE Critics’ Choice Award Exeter Ignite Festival 2013
Written by Charles Dickens
Performed by David Mynne
Directed by Simon Harvey
Adapted by Andrew McPherson
Christmas Eve, 1803…
Pip, a seven year-old orphan boy, visits his mother’s grave.
A frightening encounter with an escaped convict begins a series of events that
will change his life forever.
Written by one of England’s greatest authors, Charles Dickens, Great
Expectations is the profound and complex story of Pip’s journey through life.
Some of his most memorable characters – the terrifying Magwitch, Joe Gargery
the kind and generous blacksmith, the eccentric Miss Havisham, the cold and
beautiful Estella, Mr Jaggers the pompous lawyer and Pip’s wise friend Herbert
Pocket – are vividly brought to life in this anarchic and joyful telling of this
glorious tale.
Using Dickens’ original text (well, mostly!), David Mynne takes you on a journey
that brings you a ‘cast of thousands’ in a skilful, one-man adaptation of this epic
story.
Be prepared to be scared and amazed and cry and laugh...
Suitable for adults and accompanied children over 10
David Mynne is a Cornish actor and a founder member of Kneehigh Theatre
www.mynne.com | www.facebook.com/RabbitTheatre | @RabbitTheatre
[email protected]
REVIEWS
As Dickens’ novel is jam-packed with well-drawn characters and exquisite
descriptive language, I was intrigued to find out how David Mynne’s one-man show
at The Hour Glass would convey the depth and colour of this elaborate tale.
From the moment he steps into the performance area, Mynne makes the audience
believe in every character and event completely, using just a few props pulled from
a battered suitcase, his body, voice and facial expressions. Every character not only
has a distinct intonation, but also physical attributes, which Mynne slips in and
out of seamlessly. Estella is portrayed by a mirror, which works startlingly well,
whilst Miss Havisham is a cream veil that takes on a life of its own, particularly
in the harrowing scene where the tragic lady burns. Mynne also uses his fingers
as characters in ‘micro scenes’ to depict Pip running through the marshes or a
passionate embrace between Miss Havisham and her cruel-hearted beau.
Whether he’s conjuring a crow, the chimes of a church clock or a general hubbub in a
bar, Mynne’s vocal sound effects work extremely well. In the scene where a steamer
bears down on Magwitch and Compeyson, these vocals give a terrifying sense of
the threat of the paddles driving relentlessly towards them.
This unique version of Great Expectations - billed as ‘deft, dark, delightful and
definitely Dickens’ - is both mesmerising and joyful, and I loved every second of it.
Faultless.
Sue Cade: Wildfire - the daily critical review of the Exeter Ignite Festival
Directed by Simon Harvey, and written and performed by Kneehigh founder David
Mynne (as Rabbit Theatre), Great Expectations takes great pleasure in the tale and
the telling of it. Billed as ‘deft, daft and definitely Dickens’, this one-man show –
staged downstairs at The Hour Glass pub – distils that door-stop of a novel into 90
minutes of pure storytelling. Mynne conjures each character through intonation,
physical dexterity and a prop or two pulled from a battered suitcase; his face seems
of the past, evoking landscapes, lifetimes, loss and love. A lace tablecloth becomes
the bedspread under which Pip hides from fear-filled nightmares of Abel Magwitch;
a sepia-tinged shawl conveys each lonely year of Miss Havisham’s cherished
bitterness. Physical gestures – a bite of the knuckle to summon Jaggers, a blank
gaze into a small vanity mirror brings forth Estella – combined with vocal dexterity
create a complete theatrical package; occasional meta-narrative devices adding a
satisfying extra layer, and capturing the essence of Dickens’ style. This is theatre at
its most accessible, at its heart a performance that astounds and delights in equal
measure.
Belinda Dillon: Exeunt Magazine
This actor is unique. His craft of acting/miming/sound effects and emotion turned
this great novel into a stunning performance. A packed village hall audience, of all
ages, was mesmerised from start to finish as the main characters were presented
and then interacted with each other. His talent for putting such excellence into his
performance with no other support than a chair, a table, a suitcase and a minimum
of small props was truly amazing - NOT TO BE MISSED
Audience member: Lelant Village Hall, Cornwall
Dave Mynne is to Cornwall what Leonardo da Vinci was to Florence... he can
do everything! Actor, designer, comedian, artist and first class idiot - anything
Dave touches promises to turn to glorious fools gold! Don’t miss him under any
circumstances!
Emma Rice: Joint Artistic Director, Kneehigh
Of all the many things Penzance-based, multi-talented Dave Mynne has ever done,
from co-founding Kneehigh Theatre to playing the fiddle in the Golowan Band, he
has never done anything bigger, bolder or better than this, his one-man adaptation
of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.
Performing on a simple set, a table, chair and candle, plus a suitcase of other props,
with the help of director Simon Harvey, he turns the pages of this epic novel in a
masterful fashion that is mesmerising to come up with a piece of theatre which is as
ingenious as it is intimate.
Playing with absolute sincerity, he treats the book with respect and, although there
are cuts, its essence, the core of this huge complex tale remains intact. After having
been exposed to the Mynne treatment, even the most ardent Dickens fan will surely
sleep easy in his or her bed………
Frank Ruhrmund: The Cornishman
Read more:
http://tinyurl.com/nytwn6m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTX3MYAVY7g
More information can be found at: http://mynne.com/expectations.html
Contact: [email protected] | 07962 663538
IMAGES from a live show
All photos by Steve Tanner