11 MP3 Audio clips from The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)

PLAY ALL 11 CLIPS

Clip 1

David Copperfield is about to enter the world head-first at The Rookery and Betsey Trotwood has come to witness the birth. She's convinced the baby will be a girl. Not so.

Peggotty

Will this person be stopping?

Clara

Now, Peggotty...

Betsey

Peggotty? Peggotty? PEGGOTTY?! You mean to say a human-being went into a church and had herself named Peggotty? Did your mother sneeze when you were christened?

Clip 2

Young David has a new step-father. Murdstone. He's not cut out for fatherhood. He's not cut out for marriage. In fact, it's hard to see what he is cut out for, to be honest.

Murdstone

Sister! Jane Murdstone, Jane... my wife, Clara Murdstone.

Jane

A fair choice. I regret I missed the wedding. And the chance to meet you at the peak of your beauty.

Clip 3

David has been sent to work in a bottling factory where children are docked half a day's pay for every bottle they break. The foreman is Tungay, a man who repeats everything he hears.

David

I'm sorry, sir!

Tungay

Yeah, you're sorry, are ya? We'll find out about sorry.

[TUNGAY shoves DAVID into the office of MR. CREAKLE]

Creakle

You know my rules -

Tungay

Rules.

Creakle

Half a day's pay per bottle -

Tungay

Per bottle.

[CREAKLE realises who DAVID is and he gasps]

Creakle

The famous biting boy. Here.

Tungay

BITING BOY, HERE!

Creakle

I have the happiness of knowing your step -

Tungay

Step.

Creakle

- father -

Tungay

Father.

Creakle

A man of a strong character -

Tungay

'a-rach-ter.

[CREAKLE produces a hand-written sandwich board which reads "He Bites."]

Creakle

Tie it to him, Tungay -

Tungay

- TO HIM, TUNGAY!

That's me. Sorry.

Clip 4

Micawber is being pursued by bailiffs when first he meets David. And he needs the boy's help to put them off the scent.

Bailiff

COME ON, MICAWBER! OPEN THE DOOR, NOW!

David

Are your Mr. Micawber?

Micawber

Are your Master Copperfield?

David

I am, indeed.

Micawber

How do you do, Master Copperfield?

David

Very good.

Micawber

Master Copperfield, it would be of material assistance to me if you would join those gentlemen, echo their slanderous cries and then annunciate the following; 'Ere, round the back... he's flittin'.

David

Here, round the back -

Micawber

'Ere.

David

Here.

Micawber

'Ere... as in the, uh... aural organ. Ear.

David

'Ere. Round the back...

Micawber

Mmm hmm.

David

He's... flitting.

Micawber

Flittin'.

David

Flittin'.

Micawber

Precisely. Splendid. Well, no time like the present...

[MICAWBER shoves DAVID in the direction of THE BAILIFFS]

Bailiff

OPEN UP! COME ON!

David

P-P-PAY UP... THE MONEY... PLEASE!

Bailiff

MICAWBER?!

David

'ERE! ROUND THE BACK. HE'S...

Bailiff

What?

David

FLITTIN'.

Bailiff

Flittin' is he? MICAWBER!

[THE BAILIFFS take off on foot in the direction indicated by DAVID]

Clip 5

David and the Micawber family are about to enjoy a roast chicken dinner when there's a loud, insistent knock at the door.

Mrs. Micawber

Are you expecting visitors?

Micawber

Bailiffs. Hide -

[Little MARTHA, sat in a crib begins to slide curiously across the floor, propelled by the rug upon which it's sat being tugged under the door by the BAILIFFS]

HIDE THE SPOONS!

Clip 6

Murdstone has some sad news to impart to David and he chooses to do so at his place of employment. Not the best place to break such news to an impressionable and passionate young man.

[DAVID knocks on the office door]

Creakle

Come in -

Tungay

Come in!

Creakle

Your step-father informs me -

Tungay

Me.

Creakle

That your mama is ill -

Tungay

Ill.

David

How ill is she?

Jane

Tell him.

Murdstone

Jane -

Tungay

Jane.

David

Tell me, please.

Creakle

I won't deceive you. Very ill.

Tungay

Very... ill.

David

Very ill.

Creakle

Dangerously ill.

Tungay

She's dead.

Clip 7

David has run away from London and is seeking out his auntie in Dover. He asks a local man where he might find Betsey Trotwood.

David

Excuse me... do you know where Miss Trotwood lives?

Man

About a mile up that way. Good luck. She's fierce like a birthing badger.

David

Thank you.

Clip 8

David has collapsed in Betsey Trotwood's sitting room and now she must revive him, if only to get him out of her favourite armchair.

Betsey

Hello? Can you wake up?

[She pours liquid from a small brown bottle over DAVID'S mouth. He splutters and stirs.]

David

What are you doing?

Betsey

Medicine. Reviving you.

David

This is salad dressing.

Betsey

Is it? Thought it was armagnac. Don't have my spectacles on.

David

Do you have a lettuce somewhere covered in ointment?

Clip 9

Uriah Heep is creepy. VERY creepy. The sort of man you'd have to make excuses to should he invite you to dinner.

Uriah

Might I be so bold, Master Copperfield, as to ask you to come to tea? With me and mother?

David

What a shame, I... I fear I have a... prior engagement on that date.

Uriah

On which date? I don't believe I mentioned a date.

Agnes

I don't believe you did.

Uriah

I understand, Master Copperfield. I understand. It's not my place... to invite the likes of you to tea.

David

No, no, no, I'll... I'd be, um... I'd be glad to come, Mr. Heep.

Uriah

Uriah, please. Mother will go off like a rocket. Like a rocket. On the fourteenth, perhaps? At four? And if Miss Wickfield -

Agnes

Oh.

Uriah

- would care to...

Agnes

Sadly, on the fourteenth at four I have a prior engagement.

David

Of course, I, um... I'm meant to join you in that engagement, am I not, Agnes?

Agnes

I don't believe so, no.

David

Good. Then I can definitely come to tea.

Uriah

Oh. I am so proud to be noticed by you.

[URIAH spots an uneaten steak on the table beside DAVID]

Are you done with that?

David

Yes. Of course... help yourself.

Uriah

That's a tolerably nice bit of rump.

[Realising that AGNES might assume he was referring to her]

No offence meant, I'm sure.

Clip 10

Micawber has shown up at David's college purporting to be a professor. He's not, of course. He's a confidence trickster. A scammer. A charlatan. And Steerforth is on to him.

Steerforth

He has extorted money for years and has followed Daisy here to continue his efforts.

Micawber

Uh... Mr. Steepgorge is correct. I... did, to my shame, reside within prison walls -

Mrs. Strong

Even we draw the line at employing former convicts. And even often above that line is where we draw the line, actually. We must part if you please. Mr. Heep, show him out.

Clip 11

Old Mrs. Gummidge is unwell. She feels nauseous. But the potential for her to vomit like a fountain doesn't bother Peggotty. She's used to it.

Mrs. Gummidge

Oh, Peggotty! I fear I'm going to be sick in a substantial way!

Peggotty

No matter! Our floor is a beach. Bucket coming through! Excuse me!