Dickensblog

R.I.P., Maggie Smith

The great Dame Maggie Smith, who passed away yesterday at the age of 89, is being celebrated all over the world for a plethora of wonderful performances and roles. Here at Dickensblog, let us pause to remember her brilliant work as Aunt Betsey Trotwood in the 1999 TV adaptation of David Copperfield. (The clip is taken from an awards show -- the actual scene starts at 0:11.)

To see one of your favorite actors portray one of your favorite characters is always a special treat, and that was what Smith's portrayal of Aunt Betsey was for me. In the clip below, her confrontation with the Murdstones, Smith runs the gamut of emotions in just over a minute. She's affectionate with David, magnificent in her rage at his tormentors, venomous as she finds and pushes Mr. Murdstone's buttons, and then she perfectly underplays her parting shot at Miss Murdstone. For longtime Dickensians and for newbies alike, it's utterly satisfying.

New Dickensian dramas on BBC Radio 4

On Sunday, September 29, BBC Radio 4 will begin airing a whole season of new Dickens audio dramas:

• A two-part Hard Times, starring David Morrissey, Rachel Harper, Ike Bennett, Shaun Dooley, Janey Orchard, Jan Ravens, Will Close, Arthur Hughes, and Claire Cage;
• A three-part Little Dorrit, starring Jason Watkins, Samuel Barnett, Kitty Archer, Paul Bradley, David Tarkenter, and Claire Price; and
• A three-part Our Mutual Friend, starring Bukky Bakray, Sule Rimi, Issam Al Ghussan, Jeremy Ang Jones, Bettrys Jones, and Delilah Tahiri.

The channel will also be airing special Dickens-themed episodes of its show "Opening Lines," examining each of the three books adapted here. 

Listeners outside the UK should be able to access all shows via the BBC Sounds website and app. Go here to learn more!

TCM alert

Oliver Twist (1948) airs on the channel at 11:30 Eastern this morning.

At the chalet with Dickens

Dickens's Swiss chalet, the building where he did much of his writing, is open to the public free of charge this weekend, as part of England's annual Heritage Open Days event. Medway Council, the Dickens Fellowship, and other groups hope the event will help "raise awareness" of the need for funds to restore the chalet. If you happen to be in Kent, go check it out!

'King of Kings' has a distributor and a release date

Blue Harbor will be releasing the animated adaptation of The Life of Our Lord next Easter. Go here to learn more.

'A Christmas Carol' with drones

This December, a drone light show will tell the story of A Christmas Carol in Nottingham and Bristol, England! Go here to read all about it, and to buy tickets if you're in the area.