The Mystery of Charles Dickens

Ever wanted to see a great actor tell you all about a great author?
Well now is your chance.
Recently opened at The Playhouse theatre, The Mystery of Charles Dickens: A one man show, featuring the one and only Simon Callow (he could read me stories all day long — him and Patrick Stewart!!).
The play itself is based upon a book about the life of Charles Dickens and takes us on a journey not only about his upbringing, his own character and adventures but also his characters, their inspirations, how he conceived and would bring them to life as he studied and wrote them. Charles Dickens, a man who would have taken to the stage but instead played his characters through books which have stood the test of time. Comments of social history, on love, on youth and old age, and now played out for us all to see.
Yes, a one man show, and a brilliant one at that. Anyone that knows of Simon Callow knows that he throws himself into his parts with gusto, with exuberance and energy, leaving him and us a little exhausted but moved by it all. The first part of the play generally deals with Dickens’ life, his family, parentage, how he got to be the author of his day. Callow dramatises everything, full of facts and details and acts out little events. You are fed a lot of information in this half and although it is brilliant done, you are left a little overwhelmed by all that knowledge. The second half for me is really where Callow comes alive.
Dickens, in his latter years, used to tour, England and America, with the characters in his books; his own one man show. Dramatising Nancy from Oliver Twist, Mr Bumble and the Ghosts from A Christmas Carol. All the characters we know and love well, whether we have read or watched a film about them, and so Callow re-​enacts the same. He has such prowess. Able to turn from a jolly piece to the dark drama of Bill and Nancy, you truly believe and hang on to his every word, as I am sure you would have done with Dickens himself. But the interesting aspect you are guided through is how you see Dickens’ own drama, own life, unfold through the passages he has chosen to read, how the information from the first half feeds into the drama of the second and would ultimately be the final act for all involved.
I would highly recommend this play if you enjoys Dickens, Callow and an informative and dramatic piece of theatre. And do wait at the stage door and congratulate Callow as I did. He is a joy to have met and to see him live was such a pleasure.
Catch it while you can, it is not on long!
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