One of the stand-out productions from Jonathan Church’s debut season as Artistic Director in 2006 had been David Edgar's adaptation of Dickens's The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (known affectionately as 'Nick Nick'), directed by CFT Associate Director Philip Franks. The production was in two parts, which previewed separately, with a dramatic two-tiered set by Simon Higlett. Sales were initially very low, but once word spread and the reviews came in, the success of the production expanded exponentially. It became the hit of the season, and was revived for a sell-out second year in 2007. Executive Director Alan Finch remembers: "It was thrilling, exciting and terrifying in equal measure" (Chichester Festival Theatre at Fifty).