Dickensblog

TCM alert

A Tale of Two Cities (1935) airs on the channel at 7:45 this morning.

New 'Oliver!' trailer

Ahead of Oliver!'s transfer to London, the production has released a new trailer (h/t The Arts Shelf). 

Thoughts on BBC Radio 4's 'Little Dorrit'

I had high hopes for the new radio dramatization of one of my very favorite Dickens novels. What I got was a mixed bag. The atmosphere is a good blend of cozy and eerie, and I like the device of having a narrating Charles Dickens thinking his way through the story as he tells it. But adapter Mike Walker took it upon himself to take a number of liberties with plot and characters. Amy is too feisty, Arthur too hapless, and astonishingly, the characters of Mr. Meagles and Mr. Merdle have been combined into one man (who says "I say" more often than Foghorn Leghorn), for no reason that I can fathom.

One standout character is Affery; Sarah Thom's portrayal hits all the right notes of affection, timidity, confusion, and prescience. Carl Prekopp's Pancks and Lauren Cornelius's Maggy also come off very well. But so many characters have been cut that it does damage to the story; for instance, Arthur can't win Amy's trust by doing Tip a good turn when there's no Tip to do a good turn to. There's too much time spent on events like a party at Mr. Meagles/Merdle's house (and there isn't even a Mrs. Meagles/Merdle to liven it up!) that could have been used to bring in more characters, at least briefly. 

Note that this is a review of episode 1 only (as I did with Hard Times). Episode 2 is up, but I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet. I'm hoping for better pacing and characterization in the upcoming episodes, but I fear that the creative minds have already undermined themselves by stripping the cast down to the bare bones.

'Oliver!' extends its London run

Even before moving from a successful run in Chichester to London's Gielgud Theatre, the new Cameron Mackintosh production of Oliver! is extending its London run to next September. More details are here. 

'London Tide' cast recording and video available

London Tide, the new British musical adaptation of Our Mutual Friend, is now streaming for subscribers of  National Theatre at Home. Go here to watch the trailer and find out how to subscribe. You can now stream the cast album as well.

Thoughts on BBC Radio 4's 'Hard Times'

Here's a direct link to the first episode of the BBC's new two-part radio drama of Hard Times. I listened to it this week and enjoyed it very much. Of course, cuts have been made to the story to fit it into two hourlong episodes. Also, it feels as if some of the sharper edges have been sanded off Dickens's characters and situations -- Mrs. Gradgrind doesn't say "Go and be somethingological directly," Mr. Bounderby doesn't go on and on about being born in a ditch, Louisa's spells of sharpness and sullenness are pretty much gone. Sleary doesn't even lisp! Yet for all that, adapter Graham White takes the story seriously and tells it simply and movingly, foregrounding the domestic scenes, to which the strong cast brings a sense of both intimacy and urgency. Even with some of the beloved Dickensian trimmings pared away, this adaptation shows the strength of Dickens's storytelling and the timeless appeal of his characters.