A Tale of Two Cities – Leeds Playhouse

Writer: Charles Dickens

Adaptors: Terrence Rattigan and John Gielgud

Director: Michael Fentiman

A stage adaptation of this Dickens classic novel is a rare beast. While many other Dickens works have been dramatized both on the stage and screen ad infinitum, this particular one far less so on the stage. Admittedly there is the famous Dirk Bogarde film version of 1958 and a smattering of TV versions but that’s about it. So this production by the Marlowe Theatre is a welcome addition to the genre and worth seeing in its own right.

The story, set at the time of the French Revolution amid all the terror, violence and unrest that period evokes, is dynamically brought to life by a talented cast of actors, many of them playing multiple roles. It is a tale essentially of love and sacrifice in which the dissolute but highly intelligent barrister Sydney Carton (Samuel Collings) is in love with Lucie Manette (Jordan Loughran) but she, in turn, passionately loves Charles Darnay (Ed Sayer) who is the French aristocrat St. Evremonde and whose life is at risk if he were ever caught in France. After a convoluted plot does place Darnay sentenced to die at the guillotine, Carton rescues him and takes his place in prison. Due to his supposedly uncanny physical resemblance to Darnay he goes to the guillotine in Darnay’s place, heroically sacrificing his own life so that Darnay and Lucie can be together.

All Dickens fans can rest assured that the famous last lines of the novel, voiced by Carton at his finest hour, are retained in full: “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.” These lines are so full of pathos and emotion and Collings, who has a wonderful voice and delivery, gives them the gravitas they deserve. Indeed, Collings is superb throughout even managing to elicit some humour where Dickens, perhaps, had not intended. He utilises his skills fully as in one scene he also plays the much older Marquis de St. Evremonde and so successful is he in this that the audience doesn’t realise it is the same actor.  His performance is well matched by a number of other notable members of the cast. Sayer is convincing as Darnay, but while much is made of his physical likeness to Carton it is curious that he is so much taller and more solidly built than Carton although he does retain a certain facial similarity. Loughran is far from the conventional portrayal of Lucie, being shortish and dark rather than the more usual opposite. Roger Ringrose gives solid support as the bank employee Jervis Lorry and Scarlett Brookes is memorable as Lucie’s governess and companion Miss Pross. Francois Testory is a very convincing Dr Manette, Lucie’s father who has been imprisoned in the Bastille for 14 years and at the start is an emaciated, long white haired figure somewhat akin to a mad Lear, obsessively making shoes like a demented cobbler. When he is “recalled to life” and spruces himself up a bit he is rather less convincing.

The set design and staging is interesting. Scenery and atmosphere is achieved mainly through a back screen which projects a series of black and white images, words, headings and sounds. The main acting space is a rectangular area that gives the impression of being raised but which is flexible enough for actors to perform in front of or around it as required. When actors exit the main action they don’t go right off backstage and out of sight. Rather, they “hover” around the edges in slow motion as if they are unseeing onlookers, as it were. Sometimes actors can bring on necessary props such as chairs. The judicious use of lighting and sound adds to the general atmosphere of dread and anxiety. A hallmark of this adaptation is the use of French whenever the action switches to Paris and subtitles are necessarily provided. While this lends authenticity to the situation it can be a little distracting, as the constant need to read the text can subtract from the performances and action on stage. All the cast’s use of the French language is impressive, however. 

Runs until 26th September 2026