Dickensblog

TCM alert

Oliver Twist (1948) airs at 3:30 p.m. Eastern today, as part of a day of British productions.

Behind the scenes of 'In Dialogue with Dickens'

At OUPblog, Rosemarie Bodenheimer and Philip Davis have an interesting post up about how they co-wrote their new book In Dialogue with Dickens: The Mind of the Heart. The book has been published already in the U.K.; the U.S. version will release on May 29. I enjoyed Bodenheimer's book Knowing Dickens and am looking forward to this new one!

More casting for 'King of Kings'

Oscar Isaac will play Jesus and Forest Whitaker will play Peter in the animated film inspired by Dickens's The Life of Our Lord. Collider has the details.

TCM alert

Oliver! (1968) airs on the channel at midnight Eastern tonight, as part of its "First Name Basis" feature (films named after their main character).

Lucinda Dickens Hawksley new head of the Dickens Fellowship

Congratulations to the author's great-great-great-granddaughter for becoming the organization's new president!

TCM alert

A Tale of Two Cities (1935) will air on the channel at 5:45 p.m. Eastern today, as part of a birthday celebration for producer David O. Selznick. 

'A Christmas Carol' gets a Bollywood adaptation

Director/producer/writer Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) is the latest to create a musical update of Dickens's Christmas classic. Her Bollywood version, Christmas Karma, will be set in contemporary London and star Kunal Nayyar, Eva Longoria, Boy George, Billy Porter, and Hugh Bonneville. Deadline Hollywood has more.

'The King of Kings' cast reveal

In the upcoming animated film inspired by Dickens's The Life of Our Lord, Kenneth Branagh will provide the voice of Charles Dickens, and Uma Thurman will voice his wife, Catherine. Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit) will voice their son Walter. The Hollywood Reporter has more details.

More on 'London Tide'

Reviews for the new musical based on Our Mutual Friend can be found at The Guardian, Time Out, The Independent, Broadway World, London Theatre, and Financial Times. They're mostly pretty good if not great, with several reviewers admiring the drama but wishing for a little more of Dickens's humor and satire to lighten things up occasionally. Also, WhatsOnStage has a number of photos from the production.

Hear a song from 'London Tide'

Happy opening day to the new British musical London Tide, based on Our Mutual Friend! In honor of the premiere, two videos have been released of the song "Eugene Alone," one performed by cast member Jamael Westman and the other by singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, who co-wrote the score with Ben Power. There's also a lyric sheet available on the page.