Murder & Mayhem: A Dickensian Performance

Charles Dickens wasn’t just one of the greatest novelists in history — he was a phenomenal performer. On reading tours that spanned from New York to Edinburgh, Dublin to Toronto, he captivated audiences with electric stage presence and unforgettable dramatic readings. He was, in every sense, the first true literary celebrity — drawing sell-out crowds and prompting Mark Twain himself to exclaim, “This is Dickens!”

Now, over 150 years later, that legacy roars back to life.

We are thrilled to present Ollie Dickens, the direct descendant of Charles Dickens, as he brings his ancestor’s most famous performances to the stage with passion, precision, and heritage in every word. This is a rare opportunity to experience Dickens’s stories the way Victorian audiences did: live, intense, and powerfully human.

The evening opens with Dickens’s most gripping and emotionally harrowing reading:

‘The Murder of Nancy’ from Oliver Twist.

This piece, developed later in Dickens’s life, was so disturbing and emotionally demanding that it was said to contribute to his early death. It’s a raw, visceral performance that shocked audiences then and still stuns today — a chilling portrayal of brutality and sorrow that leaves no one unmoved.

Then, to lift the mood and your spirits, we turn to laughter and satire with:

‘The Trial of Pickwick’ from The Pickwick Papers.

This delightfully absurd courtroom comedy features the lovable Mr Pickwick defending himself in a case of accidental engagement to his landlady. How does one become unintentionally betrothed? You’ll just have to come and see for yourself.

This is more than a performance — it’s a theatrical time machine, an evening of drama, humour, history, and literary brilliance brought to life by Dickens’s own great-great-great grandchild.

24^th, 25^th, 27^th and 28^th September.

Performances at 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM

Charles Dickens Museum, London.

Tickets are limited — don't miss your chance to be part of this extraordinary event.

Book now, or contact us events@dickensmuseum.com

Oliver Dickens graduated from LAMDA in 2014 and has since worked a large variety of jobs in the film industry across cast and crew, from camera to Covid departments! Most notably he has starred in multi-award winning short films such as ‘Good Choice, Joseph’, and ‘The Gnome’ as well as helped produce multiple others as part of 136 Films, a company set up with friends he met at the University of York whilst studying Writing, Directing and Performance. Theatre credits include Ferdinand (Duchess of Malfi); Sebastian (Twelfth Night); Edmund (King Lear); Vershinin (Three Sisters); The Boy (Blood Wedding); Jonathan Harker (Dracula)

He is now embarking on a Dickensian career to celebrate the works of his great ancestor through readings and performances all around the world such as his one man show of A Christmas Carol which he performs annually at the Texan festival Dickens on the Strand each December.