Has a non-Dickensian character sneaked into Dickensian? Our guest reviewer John Kyriacou and commenter Lesley Cookman have both written about the character of Fanny Biggetywitch (played by Ellie Haddington) and how they've been unable to place her. I consulted Paul Davis's Charles Dickens A to Z, an excellent guide to the various people, places, and things found in Dickens's works, but found no mention of her.
BBC One's character profile for Fanny is here, but gives no clue as to her identity. There are several possible explanations: She could be using an alias, with her real name to be revealed at a later date; "Biggetywitch" could turn out to be the married name of a Dickens character called Fanny whom we've only met under her maiden name; she could be the descendant or the ancestor of someone from Dickens's work; or she could simply have been made up.
Because I haven't yet seen the show, and know nothing about the character beyond what's on that page, I don't know which of these scenarios is likeliest to be true. Your thoughts and theories are welcome in the comment section!
I am probably clutching at straws, and she hasn't had lots of screen time in the 4 episodes so far, but Fanny Biggetywitch certainly reminds me of Fanny Squeers. Maybe Miss Squeers married an unfortunate soul called Mr Biggetywitch and moved to London?!
Posted by: John Kyriacou | December 30, 2015 at 12:01 PM
That could very well be it! It'll be interesting to find out if you're right! :-)
Posted by: Gina | December 30, 2015 at 12:42 PM
My only slight disappointment is the diction and vocabulary of Mrs. Gamp. Her frequent mispronunciations were an important comedy trait in Martin Chuzzlewit and Pauline Collins could have deliciously hammed that up.
Posted by: John Mills | January 07, 2016 at 09:46 AM
Is she not Mrs Sparsit? From Hard Times?
Posted by: Georgia | January 24, 2016 at 03:36 PM
I have just come upon this blog - and going to the BBC site on Dickensian - it states that Fanny Biggetwitch comes from the book Little Dorrit. The only character Fanny in Little Dorrit is the snobbish elder daughter Fanny Dorrit, who presumably became by fair means or foul a Biggetwitch. Case solved Inspector Bucket?
Posted by: Nigel Tompkins | February 21, 2016 at 04:50 PM
You mean this page, Nigel?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/23P9zZwD1WJrw1xHM1xsKQb/fanny-biggetywitch
I don't see anything on there about Fanny Dorrit.
Posted by: Gina | February 21, 2016 at 07:14 PM
No but it says in the list of characters that Fanny Biggetwitch is a character in the book Little Dorrit - the only Fanny in Little Dorrit is Fanny Dorrit so she must have become Fanny Biggetwitch by marriage or design - QED
Posted by: Nigel Tompkins | February 22, 2016 at 05:46 AM
If I remember rightly, Fanny Dorrit, elder sister of Amy, afterwards married Mr Sparkler, not Mr Biggetywitch. Sorry Nigel!
Posted by: Robert Braun | March 20, 2016 at 08:17 AM
A rather late contribution(2023).
Might she be a manifestation of Sairey Gamp's imaginary friend Mrs Harris (Martin Chuzzlewit)?
Posted by: Mike Levett | December 05, 2023 at 05:36 AM