Dickensblog

'Great Expectations' opens in Britain

On the film's first day in British theaters, David Blackburn writes in the Spectator about the film's "novelty" and "ambiguity."

You can sign Dickens's birthday card!

That is, you can if you visit Galveston's Dickens on the Strand celebration. They're going for a world-record-setting number of signatures (over 4000). Best of luck to them!

All the world's a stage

The Victorians loved toy theaters, and Dickens had one of his own when he was a boy. Now British theater company Beckman Unicorn has created a Great Expectations toy theater. Click here to see more images, and to find out how to buy your own! Thanks to The Buzfuz for the tip.

Speaking of Great Expectations, Beckman Unicorn is also selling copies of the script they're using for their own theatrical version. You can get that here.

(Image copyright Beckman Unicorn)

Mr. Micawber gets his own play

It's running at the Epsom Playhouse in Surrey, England. Read more here!

'Edwin Drood' roundup

The New York Times has an article about Dickens and the creation of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, and the Washington Post has an interview with Chita Rivera (Princess Puffer) about what it's like to be in the new Broadway revival of the musical. And Playbill.com has a cute caricature of the cast, done by Ken Fallin.

Bicentennial festival in Toronto

Soulpepper Theatre Company has announced The Word Festival, a festival of plays, readings and music, in honor of Dickens's bicentennial. BroadwayWorld.com has the details!

Simon Callow compares Shakespeare and Dickens

It's a fascinating interview, in which Callow also names the Dickens novel he most frequently recommends (David Copperfield), and speculates on why Great Expecations is so popular.

British students create 'Oliver Twist' graphic novel

The students are from Dickens's own county of Kent. Read more about their project here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"'Especially,' said Mr. Pumblechook, 'be grateful, boy, to them which brought you up by hand.'"

Great Expectations, chapter 4

May you all have a lovely day, and have more reason to be grateful than Pip did!

Dickens Christmas festivals gear up

Dickens on the Strand in Galveston, Texas, kicks off December 1, and Franklin, Tennessee's Dickens of a Christmas is the next weekend. Of course, those are just two of many. If you go to one in your area, check in and tell us about it!