Bursting with theatrical mischief and heart, Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) returns to New York this summer with its feel-good Dickensian whirlwind of rogues and resilience, David Copperfield, as part of the acclaimed Brits Off Broadway season at 59E59 Theaters.
Following a sold-out, critically celebrated New York debut in 2025 with Pride & Prejudice, GSC is back by invitation with its latest hit: a high-spirited, three-actor adaptation of Dickens’ most autobiographical novel. The production premiered at London’s Jermyn Street Theatre in December to glowing reviews, before touring Windsor, Ipswich and Guildford as part of GSC’s 20th Anniversary Season.
David Copperfieldsees three actors embody more than twenty characters, never leaving the stage as they summon an entire Victorian universe from suitcases, hats, puppetry and irresistible comic ingenuity. From windswept Yarmouth to the bustle of London, audiences are whisked through David’s world, meeting Dickens’ most iconic creations in a story that celebrates resilience, reinvention and the extraordinary people who shape a life.
GSC’s New York run played to sell-out audiences last year at 59E59 Theaters and was named one of the venue’s Top 5 Shows of the Year. The new production reunites the same creative team behind GSC’s acclaimed Pride & Prejudice, adapted and directed by Abigail Pickard Price (The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Watermill Theatre; Macbeth, The Watermill Theatre), with producers and co-founders Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches and their team. The cast will feature Eddy Payne (Richard II, Guildford Shakespeare Company; Romeo & Juliet, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre) as David Copperfield, with Luke Barton (Pride and Prejudice, Guildford
Shakespeare Company; Frankenstein, Blackeyed Theatre) and Louise Beresford (Present Laughter & Noises Off, Frinton; Magic Goes Wrong, Apollo Theatre) bringing to life the vibrant world that surrounds him.
GSC co-founder and Producer for David CopperfieldSarah Gobran comments, It’s so exciting to have a second show performing consecutively as part of the Brits Off Broadway season in New York, especially in our 20thAnniversary Year.Pride & Prejudice was so well received out there last year, and it was a real delight to perform to 59E59 Theaters’ audiences, who were so warm and receptive. I just know that they are going to loveDavid Copperfield as much and can’t wait to be out there again to watch the initial response.
Delightful dollops of mischief and invention comic eccentricity– ★★★★
The Guardian Ensemble playing doesn’t come much sharper than this– ★★★★
The Times A feast of theatricality– ★★★★
The New York Stage Review
Main Image: GSC David Copperfield 2025-26. Eddy Payne, Luke Barton, Louise Beresford(Photo Steve Gregson)
This post was last modified on January 31, 2026 2:19 pm