"Murdering Dickens"
Copyright 1996
60 minutes
Radio Thriller/Stage Reading
Click here to listen to a sample!
Synopsis:
Listeners are transported back to St. James Hall, Piccadilly, first
to eavesdrop backstage on a heated discussion between George Dolby,
Dickens’ road manager, and his physician, Dr. Beard, about whether
the Chief should be allowed to go on stage to perform yet again
another strenuous reading of his murder scene, which although popular,
is now poising a grave risk to the Chief’s own health. For Dickens,
these performances have become something of an obsession.
The listener is then given a front row seat to
enjoy this superb performance, powerfully recreated by George Harland,
exactly as it was done by Dickens over a century ago.
(From the annotated reading script, Berg Collection,
New York Public Library. Funded by the National Endowment for the
Arts.)
|
Characters |
Cast |
|
| Announcer
|
David
Wallace |
| Charles
Dickens |
George Harland |
| George
Dolby |
Stephen
Russell |
| Doctor
Beard |
David Russell |
| Cabbie
|
Bob
Nolan |
| Constable
|
Chuck Powers |
| Aunt
|
Annemarie
Lang |
| Nephew
|
Chuck Powers |
| Billy
The Backstage Boy |
Alex
Birmingham |
| Street
Vendors |
Eva Broderson,
Carol McManus |
| Back
Stage Visitors |
Eva
Broderson,
Carol McManus |
| Ticketmaster
|
Chuck Powers |
| End
Announcer |
Mark
Birmingham |
|
