Gerald Dickens Presents "Sikes and Nancy" and "Captain Murderer"

• Sunday, October 20
• Lewes Public Library, Lewes, DE

The Lewes Public Library Spoken Word Society presents Gerald Dickens performing Sikes and Nancy and The Tale of Captain Murderer.

Gerald Dickens’ recreation of Sikes and Nancy is Victorian theatre at its most dramatic. Throughout the 1860s Charles Dickens gave a series of readings from his novels and his repertoire featured performances that involved safe, well-known, and often comic passages from his novels, but in 1869 he introduced Sikes and Nancy to his program. 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 horrific power.

Where did Charles get his love for the macabre? Possibly it was from the lips of his childhood nurse who would regale him with the gruesome tale of The Tale of Captain Murderer. At the age of only 6 years, little Charles delighted in the awful and bloodthirsty tale, and in 2024 Gerald brings the story to life once more.

Gerald Dickens is an actor, director, and producer, and the great-great-grandson of the author Charles Dickens. In 1993 he created his first one-man show, a theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol inspired by Charles Dickens’ own energetic readings of the 1860s. A fascination with the life and works of Charles led him to write and direct further one-man shows including Mr. Dickens is Coming!, Nicholas Nickleby and Sketches by Boz. Dickens regularly performs in major theatres and arts centres, arts and literary festivals in the UK, as well as at hotels, stately homes, and on cruise ships.

Note: these stories are intended for adults due to thematic material and language.

Each individual attending must register.

The Lewes Spoken Word Society (LSWS) celebrates the tradition and artistry of oral storytelling through lectures, performances, discussions, demonstrations, and other publicly-shared experiences. The LSWS is partially funded by the generous support of the Browseabout Books, Cape Henlopen Lodge #2540, John and Sally Freeman Foundation, Sussex County Department of Libraries, M & T Charitable Foundation, Sussex County Council, Rotary Club of Lewes-Rehoboth Beach, and the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

Thank you to Byers' Choice Ltd. for bringing Gerald Dickens to the United States.

Free Libraries Theater & Performance Southern Delaware

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