The Midnight Stage: A Live Dickensian Performance

The wild moon and clouds were as restless as an evil conscience in a tumbled bed, and the very shadow of the immensity of London seemed to lie oppressively upon the river.

Step into the shadowy heart of Victorian London with The Midnight Stage — a spellbinding live performance evoking the city as Dickens saw it: flickering gaslight, echoing footsteps, and stories waiting in every alley.

To celebrate the launch of our new exhibition, ‘Showtime!’, we invite you to a night of immersive theatre where the written word comes thrillingly to life. Actor Dominic Rawson leads us through two atmospheric journeys into Dickens’s nocturnal world.

The evening begins with an adaptation of Night Walks (1860), Dickens’s haunting, deeply personal meditation on London after dark. Written during a bout of insomnia, Night Walks reveals the author as observer and philosopher — wandering beneath the moonlight, encountering the city’s forgotten souls, and reflecting on poverty, loneliness, and the fragile beauty of human connection. Dominic Rawson’s performance brings this restless, evocative text vividly to life.

In contrast, our second piece takes a decidedly livelier turn — a riotous excerpt from David Copperfield, where a young and impressionable David is swept into a night of excess by the charming rogue Steerforth. As the pair indulge in drink and mischief, the city transforms into a playground of late-night exuberance. With wit and warmth, this scene captures the timeless comedy of youthful recklessness — reminding us that from hangovers to tortuous romantic crushes, human nature hasn’t changed a bit.

Come lose yourself in the London that Dickens knew — at once glittering and grim, thrilling and tender — and experience a one-of-a-kind performance that blurs the lines between literature, theatre, and history.

Dates:

Wednesday 30th July & Saturday 2nd August

Times: 4:00pm & 6:00pm

Tickets: £22 Adults / £18 Concessions

 
Book your tickets today!