Ncuti Gatwa to lead all-star cast in Sam Mendes adaptation of David Copperfield

By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa will feature alongside Helena Bonham Carter, Theo James and Jessie Buckley in Oscar-winner Sir Sam Mendes’s audio adaptation of David Copperfield.

Gatwa, who found fame as Eric Effiong in acclaimed teenage drama Sex Education, will play the title role in the Charles Dickens classic for online audio book platform Audible, which will see the character find his way “in a challenging world”.

Gatwa, 30, is set to take over as the 15th Time Lord in the BBC’s science fiction series Doctor Who over the festive period, following David Tennant, who will star as the Doctor in a trio of 60th anniversary specials in November.

In the audio version of David Copperfield, Gatwa will star alongside Bonham Carter as Aunt Betsey Trotwood, James as James Steerforth, Jack Lowden as Uriah Heep and Buckley as Peggotty.

Other stars include Richard Armitage as Edward Murdstone and Toby Jones as Wilkins Micawber, in Mendes' second Dickens collaboration with Audible, after Oliver Twist was released last year.

Mendes said: “I’m thrilled to continue my collaboration with Audible after the success of Oliver Twist, and where better to go next than to David Copperfield, which for so many – and indeed for Dickens himself – is a favourite amongst his canon.

“We have an outstanding cast, led by the incomparable Ncuti Gatwa, whose amazing comic timing brings new dimensions to the character of David.

“In the sound design we’ve leaned into hyper-realism so that the listener really feels like they’re on the journey with David through his misfortunes and triumphs.

“Another feast for the ears.”

The dramatisation explores the “complexities and intimacies” of the relationship between David Copperfield and James Steerforth in an adaptation that gives “fresh life and vividness to this beloved tale”.

It is being recorded in a studio in London as well as in the Charles Dickens Museum, and will be released on November 30th.

Aurelie de Troyer, head of content for the UK and Canada at Audible, said: “We are delighted to be working with the incredible Sam Mendes again in the next instalment of our Dickens collaboration.

“David Copperfield features rich storytelling and who better to breathe new life into the character of David than the shining star that is Ncuti Gatwa in his audio drama acting debut.

“The cast is sensational and the cinematic sound design will transport listeners to Dickens’ world as soon as they hit play.”