Dickensblog

Puzzling over Dickens

Author and teacher Julian Morgan gives an interview here about his book Charles Dickens Puzzles, a collection of 100 puzzles of various kinds based on Dickens's life and works. The book is available here. (Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualified purchases.)

A free book on Dickens!

Cambridge University Press, publisher of the new book Dickens and the Gothic by Andrew Smith, is offering the book for free for the next two weeks. You can read it online or download the PDF version at this page (click the "Save PDF" button) through July 23. I've started reading this short book -- it's really more of a monograph -- and so far it's very accessible and interesting! Thanks to Dale Townshend, Elements in the Gothic series co-editor, for the tip.

New 'Oliver!' production from Cameron Mackintosh opens tomorrow

Legendary producer Cameron Mackintosh and director-choreographer Matthew Bourne are bringing a new, "more intimate production" of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver! to the Chichester Festival Theatre in West Sussex, England. From there the production is expected to move to London's West End in December. This is a drastic change from Mackintosh's previous "huge" stagings of the musical with director Sam Mendes in 1994 and 2009. 

On the casting, Playbill reports:

The cast will be led by the previously reported Simon Lipkin (Guys and Dolls) as Fagin, Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon) as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell (Henry VI) as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins (Les Misérables) as the Artful Dodger, and Philip Franks (The Rocky Horror Show) as Mr. Brownlow.

Newly announced for the production are Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Mother Goose) as Mr. Bumble, Katy Secombe (The Music Man) as Widow Corney, Stephen Matthews (Strictly Ballroom) as Mr. Sowerberry/Dr. Grimwig, and Jamie Birkett (Peter Pan Goes Wrong) as Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedwin.

Sharing the role of Oliver Twist will be Cian Eagle-Service (The Witches), Raphael Korniets (The Snowman), and Jack Philpott (The Witches).

The Chichester Festival Theatre website has rehearsal footage and photos along with a link to purchase tickets.