THE great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens said he feels “at home” in Llandrindod Wells ahead of his fifth year at the town’s annual Victorian Festival.
Gerald Dickens from Oxford will be returning once again to perform one event at the festival, which is in its 37th year, which will be around the Victorian novelist’s book A Tale of Two Cities.
The 54-year-old has written a “shortened” version of the classic story which he will be performing as a dramatic reading as well as explaining to the audience how Charles Dickens wrote the original story.
“I’ll be doing A Tale of Two Cities. I have shortened it because if I did the original book it would take about two or three weeks to get through.”
The one-man theatre show said: “Although it is based in 1859, it does actually feel like quite a modern thriller.”
Mr Dickens, who recently adopted two children with his wife Liz, said this will be his first time performing the adapted book.
He said he has wanted to perform the book “for years” but he has been “put off” by the ending whereby one of the characters is beheaded.
The novel, which was published in 1859, is a story about the political and economic unrest in London and Paris around the French Revolution.
This year’s stage adaption, which will take place at 7.30pm on Tuesday, August 21 at the Pavilion, should be dramatic with the hinted possibility of a prop guillotine on stage.
Mr Dickens, who has been performing since he took part in a play adaption of A Christmas Carol for charity in 1993, performed a dramatic reading of a section from Great Expectations last year along with a scene including Bill and Nancy from Oliver Twist.
Speaking about his experience of the Victorian Festival, Mr Dickens said: “I always really enjoy it, it feels like I’m coming home when I’m on my way there. I had a really fun time last year. It’s such a beautiful town, and the festival is a good time which is organised by a really good bunch of people.”
Tickets for A Tale of Two Cities, which will not allow any admittance once the show has started, cost £15 each.
The Victorian Festival, which is held throughout the town, will run for one week starting on Monday, August 20 - a full list of events and more information can be found on the festival’s website.