A new musical drama by Peter Tierney

Book, music, and lyrics by Peter Tierney

Great Expectations: The Making of a Gentleman is a new musical drama inspired by Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. The adaptation follows Dickens’ central narrative and characters while reshaping the novel for the stage through a contemporary, character-centred musical score. The musical remains faithful to Dickens’ language and the emotional journey of his characters while introducing new dramatic material created specifically for the musical.

The story follows Pip’s journey from early ambition and illusion to disillusion and, ultimately, redemption. The score is written to reflect each character’s emotional world, using melodic writing, thematic recall, songs for ensemble, and intimate duet moments.

Across the 21 musical numbers, the piece includes solo material, character‑focused pieces, and larger ensemble numbers, allowing the story to develop through both dialogue and music.

Great Expectations: The Making of a Gentleman is currently in development. A table read and staged reading took place in 2026 as part of the musical’s ongoing creative process. 

Explore the full project at  makingofagentleman.com