Dickensblog

TCM alert

David Copperfield (the 1935 one) airs on the channel Monday morning at 6 a.m. Eastern. 

More virtual Dickens events

California's Great Dickens Christmas Fair has moved online! Go here to find out about the events that will take place over the five weekends (plus Christmas Eve) of "Dickens Fair at Home," and how you can join in.

Meanwhile in Minnesota, the Guthrie Theater and the University of St. Thomas will present "A Christmas Carol and the Common Good," a free online event including readings from the book and a panel discussion of its themes and their relevance. Go here and here to find out more. 

And finally, author and pastor Andy Whitaker Smith is hosting a short series of Zoom classes on his new book, Keeping Christmas: The Journey of Ebenezer Scrooge.  Go here to sign up!

 

'Copperfield' now available digitally in the U.S.

The Personal History of David Copperfield is now available via Google Play. I believe Verizon FIOS also has it available on demand. If you spot other services that carry it, let us know in the comments. (I miss the good old days when you could just tell people what channel to watch at what time!)

Thanks to Josh Sharpe for sharing his new review of the film in the Dickensblog Facebook group!

 

Getting creative with 'A Christmas Carol'

Along with everything else it's derailed, the pandemic is wreaking havoc on the usual rush of productions of A Christmas Carol. But many artists are finding ways to bring us the story nevertheless! Here are a few examples I've seen:

• An unusual filmed version of A Christmas Carol, with dancers and celebrity voiceovers (including Carey Mulligan, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Simon Russell Beale, and Andy Serkis), will open in British movie theaters December 4. I'm not sure if we'll be getting this one in the United States at any point. More information is here, here, and here.
• Broadway actor Jefferson Mays has filmed his acclaimed one-man version of the Carol. It will be streamed online November 28 to benefit theaters around the United States. Go here to learn more and to buy tickets.
• Gerald Dickens -- whose one-man version I've seen several times, as many of you know -- has also created a film version, as he reports on his blog. Details about the release to come. 
• In Washington, D.C., Ford's Theatre has turned its annual production of the show into a radio play, which will air on its website on December 7 (members only) and December 14 (general public), and on WAMU 88.5 on Christmas Day.

If you know of any other creative productions of A Christmas Carol that deserve a mention here, please mention them in the comments!

Geoffrey Palmer, R.I.P.

The British actor read an audiobook of A Christmas Carol and also portrayed Thackeray in the 2002 miniseries Dickens. He passed away last Wednesday at age 93. 

A dialogue on Dickens and slavery

On Sunday, November 22, the Cambridge Literary Festival will show online Dickens on Slavery, a short film featuring a dialogue about the chapter on slavery in American Notes. Click here to find out more and to buy a ticket! (Note that the time given, 12:30 p.m., would be 7:30 a.m. Eastern.)

New digital release date for 'Copperfield'!

Thanks to Josh in the Dickensblog Facebook group and to Ruth on Instagram who wrote to tell me that the digital release for The Personal History of David Copperfield has now been set for November 17. (It will not be exclusive to Amazon Prime.) You can read more here. 

'Copperfield' U.S. Amazon Prime debut apparently delayed

As I posted earlier this month, The Personal History of David Copperfield was supposed to be made available on Prime today, but -- frustratingly -- it's not there yet. I'll keep an eye out and keep you posted!

Five Tony nominations for 'A Christmas Carol'

Congratulations to A Christmas Carol on Broadway, which got nods for Best Original Score (Christopher Nightingale), Best Scenic Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Costume Design of a Play (Rob Howell), Best Lighting Design of a Play (Hugh Vanstone), and Best Sound Design of a Play (Simon Baker)! The awards will be held digitally sometime this fall or winter (the date should be announced soon).

More Dickens stamps

The Isle of Man has released a new batch of Charles Dickens commemorative stamps -- five stamps featuring A Christmas Carol and one featuring the "Lost Portrait." Fans of actor, writer, and Dickensian Simon Callow will be pleased to learn that he has autographed the limited edition first-day covers. Go here to read more, and go here to order them!