Dickens at the Lion - 3rd to 5th February 2012
One of Britain’s greatest authors, Charles Dickens, stayed at Shrewsbury’s Lion Hotel at least twice in the mid 19th Century. He certainly performed at the nearby Music Hall and most likely gave readings from his novels in The Lion’s Ballroom.
Now, to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth, his great, great grandson - the respected actor Gerald Dickens - will headline a weekend of celebrations at The Lion – Shrewsbury’s famous Grade 1 listed 16th century coaching inn.
Gerald will perform two of his most popular one man shows about his great, great grandfather in The Lion Ballroom as the centre point of a weekend-long Dickens Festival to take place on February 3rd 4th and 5th 2012, just two days before the great man’s big day.
These performances will be a cornerstone of a nationwide media and theatre celebration of the man who wrote A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and Pickwick Papers.
Friday 3rd Feb 8pm: Mr Dickens is Coming!
A light-hearted and varied look at the life and character of Charles Dickens. Gerald includes in the play scenes from the great author’s works, diary extracts and observations from those who knew and worked with him.
Saturday 4th Feb 8pm: Sikes and Nancy
This is Victorian theatre at its most dramatic. Most of Charles’ readings were safe, well-known and often comic passages from his novels, but in 1869 he introduced Sikes and Nancy to his repertoire. When Dickens performed what he called The Murder, he judged the success of the evening by the number of ladies who had fainted with horror. Today it has lost none of its power. Scenes from the BBC TV serialisation of Oliver Twist were filmed in Shrewsbury.
Both performances will be followed by Gerald reading excerpts from A Christmas Carol on the very stage Charles read from two centuries ago!
Tickets for the above evening performances are £8.50 each, or £15 for both Friday & Saturday night.
Sunday 5th Feb: "Christmas Carol Day"
The celebrated George C. Scott film of A Christmas Carol was shot in Shrewsbury in 1984 and the cast and crew stayed at the Lion. The day will run as follows:
10.30am - The Making of A Christmas Carol - An illustrated talk by historian David Trumper
11.30am - A Guided Town Walk - Enjoy a walk around various local Film Locations
2.30pm - A Christmas Carol - a large screen showing of the famous film
Tickets for the day are £10. Tickets for individual Sunday events may be bought separately.
Costumed characters will perform vignettes from Dickens’ most famous works in The Lion and around the town over the weekend.
Charles Dickens was the most popular English novelist of the Victorian era, and was responsible for some of English literature's most iconic characters such as Nicholas Nickelby, David Copperfield, Uriah Heap and Scrooge.
Gerald Dickens has worked as an actor, director and producer for many years and is fascinated by his great, great grandfather’s life and works. He regularly performs in major theatres, arts centres and stately homes. He will be staying at The Lion in the same rooms Charles stayed in; which he described as “the strangest little rooms” with windows that “bulge out over the street as if they were little stern windows of a ship”.
The weekend is being arranged by Chris Eldon Lee, veteran BBC Radio 4 producer and former director of the Shrewsbury Summer Season and the events will be open to everyone.
Special package deals are available for guests wishing to spend the weekend in Shrewsbury in the company of Mr. Dickens. For details, tickets and package deals please ring The Lion Hotel on 01743 353107 or email info@thelionhotelshrewsbury.com.
To book tickets online for the events only, follow the link: http://www.wegottickets.com/f/3039
