Dickens on the BBC: Radio

Book Of The Week - Charles Dickens: A Life 1/5

Monday 28 November – Friday 2nd December 2011, 9.45am, BBC Radio 4

Claire Tomalin's acclaimed new biography of Britain's great novelist paints a portrait of an extraordinarily complex man. Abridged by Richard Hamilton and read by Penelope Wilton.

The week begins with Dickens’ troubled childhood; through to his early successes as a writer; being well received in America; a theatrical performance which changed the course of his life; and concluding with themes of adulation and farewells.

Claire Tomalin was literary editor of The New Statesman and The Sunday Times before becoming a full-time writer. Her award-winning biographies include: The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft and Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self.

Reader/Penelope Wilton, Producer/Elizabeth Allard

A Tale Of Two Cities 1/5

Monday 26th – Friday 30th December 2011, 2.15pm, BBC Radio 4

Robert Lindsay and Alison Steadman star in a new dramatisation of Charles Dickens's classic, A Tale of Two Cities, dramatised by Mike Walker to be broadcast on Radio 4 as a sequence of five Afternoon Plays in the week after Christmas. Dickens' novel of the French revolution tells a story of the redemptive powers of love in the face of cruelty, violence and neglect.

The story follows several characters, notably Charles Darnay, a French former aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution – and Sydney Carton, a dissipated English barrister who tries to redeem his ill-spent life out of love for Darnay's wife, Lucie Manette. Mike Walker’s dramatisation of this Dickens classic – the first for radio for over twenty years – also stars Jonathan Coy, Andrew Scott, Paul Ready and Karl Johnson, with original music by Lennert Busch.

The Tale Of A Tale Of Two Cities

Thursday 29th December 2011, 11.30am, BBC Radio 4

When Dickens wrote A Tale Of Two Cities in 1859 it was, for him at least, both 'the best of times' and 'the worst of times'. He had separated from his wife, started a new weekly journal and was becoming increasingly recognised as a performer of his own works. But the process of creation for his new novel was the same as ever. A tightly written manuscript on individual leaves was whisked off to the printers, proof read and edited by the author and then made available, instalment by instalment, to a loyal public.

For this programme, crime writer Frances Fyfield has been given access to those original manuscript pages, held by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and along with the scholar Robert Patten and actor David Timson, she explores the frantic hand-writing, the ferocious self-editing and the sheer energy of Dickens’ writing.

Frances also visits a print museum to get an idea of what a challenge it was, turning these pages into print against the deadlines Dickens had set himself.

Produced by Tom Alban; Directed by Jessica Dromgoole and Jeremy Mortimer

The Mumbai Chuzzlewits 1/3

Sundays from 1st January 2012, 3.00pm, BBC Radio 4

Award-winning writer Ayeesha Menon’s rework of Charles Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit is set amongst the Catholic community in modern day Mumbai, India.

Convinced his relatives are after his money, Martin Chuzzlewit, a wealthy old landlord, has adopted orphan girl Mary as his carer with the understanding she will be housed and fed as long as he lives - but that upon his death, she will inherit nothing. Thus, he believes, she will do her utmost to keep him in good health. But when his grandson Mickey falls in love and wishes to marry Mary, Martin’s plans are thrown into disarray. By disinheriting him, Martin triggers a complex web of deceit, betrayal and manipulation as the extended family and hangers-on close in, in pursuit of his fortune.

Told from the point of view of orphan Thomas, an observer into the world of the Chuzzlewits, this is a fast-paced drama full of intrigue, romance, suspense and murder.

Recorded on location in India, the cast stars Roshan Seth, Karan Pandit, Zafar Karachiwala and Nimrat Kaur.

Directed by John Dryden. A Goldhawk Essential Production for BBC Radio 4

The Mystery Of The Mystery Of Edwin Drood

Thursday 19th January 2012, 11.30am, BBC Radio 4

Crime writer Frances Fyfield uses the hand written manuscript of Charles Dickens' last, unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, to try and answer some of the many questions about the last days of Dickens’ life and, more particularly, the loose ends of this tantalising novel.

Mr Grewgious, The Reverend Septimus Crisparkle and Edwin Drood himself may not be the most familiar of Dickens characters. Writer Simon Brett and Dickens authority Jenny Hartley join Frances in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum to explore whether there is a way of explaining the disappearance of the eponymous hero, Drood, and whether Dickens was aware of the fragile state of his health, through the last book in their Dickens manuscript collection. Frances also travels to Rochester, the setting of the mysterious story with its angular take on the Cathedral community and the town which the author knew so well.This programme complements the broadcast of Gwyneth Hughes’ new BBC TWO drama, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

Produced by Tom Alban

Dickens In London 1/5

Monday 6th – Friday 10th February 2012, 10.45am, BBC Radio 4

Dickens in London presents five short plays based on Charles Dickens' journalism about walking in London to tell the story of the writer’s life. Adapted by Michael Eaton, the cast stars Samuel Barnett, Alex Jennings and Antony Sher each taking their turn to play Dickens.

Following Dickens' changing relationship with the city that fired his imagination, each stand-alone play takes its title from one of Dickens's own appellations: A Not Over-Particularly-Taken-Care-Of-Boy; Boz; the Sparkler of Albion; the Uncommercial Traveller; and The Inimitable.

Dickens in London is part of an innovative collaboration between Film London Artists' Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Drama. A commission for film artist Chris Newby, writer Michael Eaton, and composer Neil Brand to produce a set of cross-platform works for radio, interactive television (Red Button) and the Radio 4 website. The project is supported with a Grants for the Arts Award from Arts Council England.

Directed by Jeremy Mortimer

The Essay – The Writers’ Dickens

Monday 19th – Friday 23rd December, 10.45pm, BBC Radio 3

In a special series of The Essay, five contemporary novelists - Tessa Hadley, A L Kennedy, Alexander McAll Smith, Romesh Gunesekera and Justin Cartwright - examine the craft of Dickens’ prose, and reflect on how the giant of British nineteenth century fiction is both a role model and a shadow looming over their own writing.

Taking as their starting point a favourite extract from one of Dickens’ novels, each writer discusses Dickens’ themes, narrative techniques and writing craft, and tells listeners what they themselves have learnt from it. They offer thoughtful, engaged and focused critical appreciation of Dickens’ skill, as well as valuable insights into their own work and how they wrestle with the subject and technique under discussion.

This is Dickens as writing role model and mentor, but also perhaps the father who must be challenged, even slain, for the heirs to flourish.

Produced by Sara Davies

The Verb

Friday 9th December, 10pm, BBC Radio 3

Ian McMillan hosts a special edition of his weekly cabaret of the word before an audience at the BBC’s Radio Theatre to celebrate the art of reading Dickens aloud.

Dickens gave professional public readings in Britain and the United States over the last twelve years of his life. Audiences of around 2,000 flocked to hear him reading favourite episodes from his novels and giving virtuoso impersonations of each of the characters. The vigour of his performances physically exhausted him afterwards.

This programme features new public readings in the Dickens’ tradition, an analysis of how Dickens’ language works so well in performance, and Dickens in song.

Produced by Dymphna Flynn

Night Waves

Wednesday 14th December, 10pm, BBC Radio 3

Philip Dodd presents a landmark edition of Radio 3’s art and ideas programme, devoted to Charles Dickens as the bicentenary of his birth approaches.

Night Waves is broadcast Monday–Thursday at 10pm.

Editor, Adrian Washbourne

World Book Club: A Celebration Of Charles Dickens

BBC World Service, 1 February 2pm

BBC World Service is using the world wide fascination with Dickens to launch its London Literature series in the build up to the Olympics. In a special live broadcast from The Radio Theatre, as part of the BBC's truly international celebration of the bicentenary of Charles' Dickens' birth, World Book Club on BBC World Service will be in conversation with Dickens' most recent biographer, Claire Tomalin, author of Charles Dickens: A Life.

Actor Simon Callow will read extracts from Great Expectations, the novel under discussion, and listeners in the Radio Theatre and BBC World service audiences from all parts of the globe will put questions to Claire, Simon and other Dickens experts in studios overseas. Acclaimed writers from around the world will also comment on Dickens' importance to their writing life and their country. BBC World Service also has a special programme from India with writer Ayeesha Menon exploring the country's love affair with Dickens writing.

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