In an overgrown churchyard, a grizzled convict springs upon an orphan boy named Pip. The convict terrifies Pip and threatens to kill him unless Pip helps further his escape. Later, Pip finds himself in the ruined garden where he meets the embittered and crazy Miss Havisham and her foster child Estella, with whom he immediately falls in love.

After a secret benefactor gives him a fortune, Pip moves to London, where he cultivates great expectations for a life which would allow him to discard his impoverished beginnings and socialise with the idle upper class. As Pip struggles to become a gentleman and is tortured endlessly by the beautiful Estella, he slowly learns the truth about himself and his illusions.

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Over the last few years, BRGS has staged some superb dramatic productions in both straight and musical theatre.

This March, BRGS mounted our most ambitious show yet. A huge cast of 30 plus students from across the age range - years 9 to 13 - were in rehearsal since the end of September, some of them since last July, for the world premiere of a brand new dramatisation of Charles Dickens' masterpiece "Great Expectations".

Adapted by Mr Ben Ventress it was a production with a difference, however. Dickens' epic tale of crime,desire, guilt and dark secrets was played out over two consecutive evenings, on Thursday 8th and Friday 9th March 2007.

Written in the last decade of his life "Great Expectations" reveals Dickens' dark
attitudes towards Victorian society, it's inherent class structure and it's materialism.