Nicholas encounter a "literary gentleman" in chapter forty-eight of the novel. The gentleman brags that he has dramatised two hundred and forty-seven novels "as fast as they had come out – in some cases faster than they had come out", and claims to have thus bestowed fame on their authors. In response Nicholas delivers a lengthy and heated condemnation of the practice of adapting still-unfinished books without the author's permission, going so far as to say: The 1838 play Nicholas Nickleby; or, Doings at Do-The-Boys Hall premièred at the Adelphi Theatre and City of London Theatre, and featured Mary Anne Keeley as Smike. An 1850s American version featured Joseph Jefferson as Newman Noggs; another in the late 19th century featured Nellie Farren as Smike. The 1973 musical Smike is an adaptation focusing on the character Smike, written by Simon May, Clive Barnett and Roger Holman. A large-scale theatrical production, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, by playwright David Edgar, premiered in 1980 in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was a theatrical experience which lasted more than ten hours (counting intermissions and a dinner break – the actual playing time was approximately eight-and-a-half hours). The production received both critical and popular acclaim. All of the actors played multiple roles because of the huge number of characters, except for Roger Rees, who played Nicholas, and David Threlfall, who played Smike (due to the large amount of time they were on stage). The play moved to Broadway in 1981. In 2006 Edgar prepared a shorter version for a production at the Chichester Festival, which transferred in December 2007 and January 2008 to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End. This version has been produced in the US by the California Shakespeare Festival. Film and television Film and television adaptations of Nicholas Nickleby include: A 1903 two-minute short showing the fight scene at Dotheboys Hall. Nicholas Nickleby (1912), a half-hour film that attempted to cover most of the novel, featuring Victory Bateman as Miss La Creevey and Ethyle Cooke as Miss Snevellici. The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (1947), the first sound film adaptation, starring Cedric Hardwicke as Ralph Nickleby, Sally Ann Howes as Kate, Derek Bond as Nicholas and Stanley Holloway as Crummles. Nicholas Nickleby (1957), a BBC TV serial with William Russell in the title role. No episodes survive. Nicholas Nickleby (1968), a BBC One TV