LOVERS of Charles Dickens' novels are in for a literary treat this Easter with an adaptation of Great Expectations playing Theatre by the Lake.

Produced by Tilted Wig Productions and Malvern Theatres, and touring nationally, the production features well-known stage and screen actress Nichola McAuliffe in the role of Miss Havisham.

Running at the Keswick theatre from Tuesday-Saturday, April 10-14, the Dickens' epic tells of young Pip, who, following a terrifying encounter with an escaped convict, is given an unexpected chance to better himself by visiting the reclusive and mysterious Miss Havisham.

In the decaying grandeur of her house, Pip falls in love with Estella and helped by an anonymous benefactor, he moves to the bustling city to pursue his dream of winning Estella’s heart and becoming part of the educated elite.

Peopled by some of the venerated Victorian author's most colourful and memorable characters and painted in rich, vivid colour the new production promises a powerful and theatrical telling of Dickens' universally loved masterpiece. The play's underlying message of friendship, loyalty and conscience being more important than social advancement, wealth and class, make the play just as relevant today as when it was written and accounts for its enduring popularity.

Olivier Award-winning Nichola is best known for her role in the long-running TV series Surgical Spirit, the films Tomorrow Never Dies and Chéri, and for her many stage appearances such as Kiss Me Kate for the RSC, The Night of the Iguana in the West End and Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van.

The cast also includes Séan Aydon (Pip), Isla Carter (Estella), Edward Ferrow (Joe Gargery) and Richard Earl (Jaggers/Pumblechook).

Director Sophie Boyce Couzens said that Great Expectations was so well-known and well-loved that audiences will have their own preconceptions of what they wil be going to see: "This is daunting, but it's also what made this such an exciting process as we looked for our own way of telling this story. The incredible ensemble of nine play almost 30 characters between them and bring a fantastic energy to the production."

Box office 017687-74411.