Although he is one of the greatest novelists this country has produced, the perception of Dickens today has been tainted by countless bland stage and screen adaptations.

It may have been extremely popular when first published a century and a half ago, but Hard Times has since lost its place among the front runners of the Dickens canon.

As a result, we can re-visit the work with a fresh perspective almost impossible with the likes of Oliver Twist or Great Expectations.

Director Martin Nichols and stage writer Frank McCabe were also responsible for the NVT's epic (seven-hour!) production of Dickens' Our Mutual Friend in 1998.

Here they promise to avoid a stereotypical "costume drama" approach.

The play is narrated by a troupe of circus performers, picking up on a group of characters in the novel whose fun tricks provide contrast to the "hard times" suffered by many in the 19th Century.

Show starts 7.30pm, matinees Sunday, May 1, and Sunday, May 8. No performance Sunday or Monday evening. Call 01273 746118.