Dickens play planned for Town Hall

 

As Christmas closes in on us, Llangollen Town Hall will be staging a new play about Charles Dickens, on Friday November 14th and Saturday 15th, before going on short N. Wales tour.

 

A Dickens of an Evening imagines the unfolding drama at Dickens’ house when he invites friends to join him for a drink and a read through of some of his stories and Christmas pieces.

 

There are all the elements of Christmas celebrations, visits from ghosts, haunted men, Christmas trees coming to life, plus festive joy.

Beneath the jollity, the undercurrents of Dickens’ life are always near the surface. Using several of Dickens’ special Christmas stories such as The Haunted Man, Christmas Carol and The Christmas Tree, playwri...ght Peter Read, who has received rave reviews for his depiction of Dylan Thomas, now turns his attention to Charles Dickens.

Although a novelist, Charles Dickens had a great love for the theatre, a passion which developed in childhood, when he lived next door to one. A Dickens of An Evening is set in the 1850’s when Dickens was famous and wealthy. 

As the jollity unfolds on stage there is a dark sub plot of Dickens’ own love life and his obsession with ghosts, threatening to destroy his reputation and health. The circulation of rumours that he is having an affair with the young actress Ellen Ternan and the delivery of a love brooch from the Jewellers to Mrs Dickens, a brooch inscribed to and intended for Ellen, add a spice to the Christmas celebrations which the great man was not expecting.

The play has grown out of Read’s research into the writer. Read became fascinated with the idea of what it must have been like to be present at one of Dickens’ readings. Whilst he has invented the events surrounding the readings of Dickens’ script the play is based on real situations in Dickens’ life.

 

A little like Hamlet and Noises Off, A Dickens of an Evening contains a play within a play.

* TICKETS: £8 & £6.50 concession. Group booking discounts available. Either Inbox to reserve or Tel: 01978 351315/ Llangollen Tourist Information Centre.