Freely adapted from Dickens’ Nicholas Nickleby, this musical opens in a contemporary school where a new English teacher finds it difficult to gain the interest of his class. He overcomes this problem when he hits on the idea of turning the book they are studying, Nicholas Nickleby, into a musical. We are swept back in time to the misery of Dotheboys Hall, where life is a matter of survival; avoiding the leaden hand of Mr Squeers and the daily dose of brimstone and treacle! The story ends happily with the children overpowering their captors: we return to the present day and find the class has learnt many lessons from the exercise. Since its production on BBC TV, Smike has enjoyed tremendous popularity.