A greasy, grimy troupe are warming up in an industrially dirty, shadowy Victorian London. The setting promises adventure and mischief. Out of the fog, soot and grime, steps Mercy Larkin (Ahunim Abebe), our narrator and guide. She is luminous and we are utterly captivated.

Jack Maggs, written by Samuel Adamson, is based on the Miles Franklin Award-winning 1997 novel by Peter Carey, a Dickens-inspired hero-quest of epic proportions. The stellar cast is brilliantly directed by Geordie Brookman, who uses a plethora of clever theatrical tricks to great effect. The troupe’s timing and chemistry are exemplary; this is excellent theatre.

Ahunim Abebe in Jack Maggs. Photo © Matt Byrne

The wealth of characters and their missions are easily distinguishable thanks to innovative designers Ailsa Paterson (set and costume) and Nigel Levings (lighting). The employment of magic lantern-style silhouettes, multi-purpose furniture and the visibility of the troupe’s skeleton mechanics makes for fabulously pragmatic aesthetics and intriguing viewing.

The titular protagonist is a mercurial, troubled, villain-with-heart and into this shape steps actor Mark Saturno. His stage presence is remarkable. Booming, malevolent and adroitly authoritative, he expertly portrays the thief-cum-footman with debilitating neuralgia, a man on an extraordinary...