Dickens Unplugged – A new musical comedy

Dickens Unplugged is a new musical comedy by American Adam Long. The show is an hilarious journey through the best of Dickens’ classic works and into the twisted corners of the author’s colourful life. Dickens Unplugged will open at the Comedy Theatre in London on Friday 23 May.

This is the life and works of Charles Dickens as never seen before. It’s fast, furious and in five-part harmony. This unique interpretation will give audiences a light-hearted insight into an incredible man: from his bleak childhood to his complicated marriage, numerous children and his final years. With instruments from acoustic guitar to accordion and harmonica to horns, and using an incredible mix of musical styles, the cast give voice to a host of Dickens' most eccentric and loved characters.

Oliver Twist, Tiny Tim, David Copperfield, Miss Havisham, Charles Darnay and many more appear in Adam Long’s 20 original songs which include ‘Aint Goin Back To Blackin’ and 'Far Far Better Thing'.

Dickens Unplugged was commissioned in 2006 for the 2007 Edinburgh Festival 2007 and a new production, with a new set by Lez Brotherston, was a co-production with the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford in February this year.

Dickens Unplugged will be making West End history as the first show to play a Wednesday to Monday performance schedule.

Charles John Huffam Dickens was born in Portsmouth in February 1812 and died in Kent on 2 June 1870. His work has been prolifically adapted for the stage and notable stage productions include Pickwick which began a long West End run with Sir Harry Secombe in 1963, a 1970 stage and film musical Scrooge!, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s blockbusting two-part version of Nicholas Nickleby and Lionel Bart’s musical Oliver!, which first opened in London in 1960 with Ron Moody and which subsequently won Carol Reed an Oscar for his film version in 1968.

This year will see a revival of the show with Rowan Atkinson as ‘Fagin’ and a ‘Nancy’ to be decided by the hit primetime BBC TV reality series I’d Do Anything.

The cast of Dickens Unplugged includes Joseph Attenborough, Matthew Hendrickson, Simon Jermond, Adam Long and Gabriel Vick.

For further details log on to Dickensunplugged.com.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Wednesday-Saturday and Monday at 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday matinees at 2.30pm
Sunday at 4pm
Tickets priced from £16 - £46