ROBERT Readman always has his eye on bringing new shows to York, be it Spring Awakening, the youth theatre version of Billy Elliot The Musical, or now the Yorkshire premiere of Deborah McAndrew’s stage adaptation of David Copperfield.

Timed to coincide with the 200th birthday celebrations of Charles Dickens, Readman’s production played to small houses on its first two nights, so let’s hope more will be coming to the birthday party today.

Although, the show features new twists on sea shanties and Victorian music hall songs by Northern Broadsides’ regular composer Conrad Nelson, it is not an out-and-out musical in the mould of Oliver!.

Instead, McAndrew's adaptation is as much a play as a musical, driven by a storytelling combination of well-enunciated narration by Alex Gordon’s young writer, David Copperfield, and Jack Armstrong’s Young David, and the ensemble cast’s energetic performances in a multitude of roles.

In the original Bolton Octagon production in December 2010, a cast of seven handled all the characters between them. For York Stage Musicals’ account, Readman has ten actors each playing two roles, plus several doing sole roles, complemented by an ensemble of 12 young performers.

No fewer than three men play both male and female parts: Adam Sowter as Miss Murdstone and a splendidly egregious Uriah Heep; Lee West as Mr Creakle and Miss Spendlow; and Richard Bayton as Mr Spenlow and Miss Spenlow.

Jonny Holbek, Martin Rowley, Joe Douglass, Rob King, Robyn Grant, Sandy Nicholson and Juliet Waters all do a double shift, and several players find time to be in Joe Heald’s band too, most notably Holbek, whose guitar playing is one of the production’s most important contributions.

Waters, Sowter, Aimee Heald, Rhys Evans, Peter Gray, Grace Lancaster and Peter Fisher (the duplicitous Steerforth) all show off their instrumental as well as acting skills.

Grant’s Dora, Megan Forgan’s Emily, Rowley’s larger-than-life Mr Micawber and Holbek’s crouching Mr Peggotty are among the stand-out performers, while Armstrong gives an assured performance as Young David.

Best of all, University of York student Gordon lives up to his National Youth Theatre pedigree with impressive stagecraft and a personable manner as Coppefield.

Oh, and move over The Artist's Uggie, here comes a new dog to win hearts: Harley, who delivers a scene-stealing bark in the canine role of Jip.

David Copperfield, York Stage Musicals, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight at 7.30pm, tomorrow, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk