Sikes & Nancy is James's most enduring one-man play: a macabre and pitiless maelstrom of grotesquerie, terror and bloodshed. After a number of shorter showings, Sikes & Nancy toured the country from September to November 2014, before settling into the West End's Trafalgar Studios for Christmas (alongside Linda Marlowe in Miss Havisham's Expectations). Sikes & Nancy surfaced for a final time in November 2016, playing a sell-out run at Jersey Opera House. James is still in recovery.
One man dressed entirely in black enacts the compellingly terrible story of Dickens's most famous murder. Swanton's tour-de-force performance of this masterpiece of Gothic melodrama sees him transform himself seamlessly from the revolting Fagin to the unfortunate Nancy; from the righteous Brownlow to the ferocious and terrifying Sikes. This is bravura storytelling at its very best: exciting, dark, physical and brutish. 'James Swanton is a fearless actor who in Sikes & Nancy pushes the art of physical expression into fantastical areas of theatre that are far too little explored. He is a remarkable performer and the show is a startling and enthralling contribution to the art of the theatre.' - Simon Callow |
'Thuggish Bill Sikes, desperate Nancy, twisted Fagin and kindly Brownlow, all find themselves embodied in the tornado of jagged limbs, guttural howls and facial metamorphoses that is James Swanton ... Dragging us kicking and screaming through Dickens' darkest literary moment ... A masterclass in one-man theatre' - London City Nights
'This performance really affected me and when I left the theatre I stood quietly for a few moments on Whitehall contemplating what I had just witnessed' - London Theatre 1 (★★★★★) |
'Swanton conjures a series of extraordinary grotesques, giving a beautifully gothic façade to this classic tale. This is an hour spent in awe of two masters, Dickens for his words and Swanton for his extraordinary and superlative interpretation of them - and we can't think of a better way to spend sixty precious minutes' - So So Gay (★★★★★)
'Transports you back to the slums of Victorian London ... A dark and thrilling show ... I was captivated throughout, and blown away by Swanton's unwavering performance' - Huffington Post |
'A dramatic gothic extravaganza, a testament to the incredible talents of James Swanton' - Plays to See
'He was a force of nature ... More than his expression, physical presence or even words, it is his passion and energy which sweeps the audience along with him ... One of the most engaging and captivating hours of theatre I have experienced' - TCS (★★★★★) 'Sikes & Nancy is, in a word, incredible ... Masterfully and often astonishingly delivered by James Swanton ... Grisly, affecting and utterly gripping ... It truly is outstanding' - The Colchester Circle 'Swanton is completely captivating. It becomes literally impossible to look away ... At once tragic in its nature, poignant in its heart, and comedic in its portrayal' - The Culture Trip 'Pure storytelling ... Phenomenal abilities ... Thoroughly intense and unsettling ... Nancy's final scenes are visceral and haunting ... Poignant fragility ... Gritty, captivating and put together with a huge amount of raw talent' - Views from the Gods 'A masterclass in character portrayal and performance ... A quite brilliant piece of theatre' - The Latest (★★★★★) |
'With Swanton's faultless performance and powerful command of the stage it is simply too magnificent to miss' - The Theatre Tourist (★★★★★)
'Captured brilliantly the exhaustive and exhausting effect the city had on these desperate characters ... Bravura physicality conveying the inner contortions of despair and feverish paranoia ... Dangerous and exciting. A high-wire rollercoaster of a performance!' - David Leonard 'It is a story of shade and shade, a Gothic horror melodrama enacted against the darkest corners of Victorian London ... This hour of theatre shows us the stuff from which nightmares are made' - The Public Reviews 'This is a performance that will leave you quivering and quaking in your seat ... A grotesque and terrifying tour de force ... You have been warned' - Everything Theatre 'James Swanton is a chameleon, a mesmerising grotesque elastic man ... The audience was left in a state of shock as the curtain fell, hearts racing, breath held ... Great acting ... Dickens couldn't have done it better himself' - Downstage Centre 'One of the best performers I've seen ... A fantastic performance and a real treat to watch' - Varsity (★★★★★) |