Showtime!

For many of us today, we know Charles Dickens’s stories not from reading them, but through the many radio, television, film and stage productions such as The Muppets Christmas Carol or Oliver! the musical. Dickens’s stories have been adapted ever since they were first written over 185 years ago. 

First published in monthly serials, a couple of chapters at a time, Dickens created cliffhangers to keep his audience coming back for more. This, plus his larger-than-life characters and descriptive language evoking time and place, creates stories that jump off the page and on to stage and screen to great effect. 

This exhibition delves into Dickens adaptations from 1837 to modern-day as well as exploring some of the reasons behind their continual recreation.

This exhibition has been generously funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Dickens Fellowship and The Circles of Art. A special thanks to National Lottery players.