What the Dickens?

No current schedule for this year

Course Notes

Each day we'll savour the pleasure of reading chapters aloud, then in a tolerant, relaxed atmosphere, we'll discuss our wide-ranging opinions on Dickens' stories, philosophy, misogyny, fatherhood, marriage, unfaithfulness…. And then, using drama techniques including bits of film, we will roleplay and perform Dickens' vignettes, for our delectation!

The course divides into 3 main parts:

1.Reading aloud

2. a. Discussing Dickens's stories: Bleak House, Our Mutual Friend (with reference to Gt Expects & Oliver T).

b. Discussing Dickens' life.

3.Roleplaying vignettes

 

Monday

Welcome and Introductions; forming the group

Short Introduction - DICKENS: the man and his work.

Introducing BLEAK HOUSE

Reading aloud 2 - 4 chapters

Characters and Discussion

Roleplaying and watching

Dickens' writing, characters, creativity

 

Tuesday

Bleak House: 2 - 4 more chapters reading aloud

Roleplaying 3 separate vignettes from BH

Dickens the creative genius: Discussion

 

Wednesday

Our Mutual Friend : an introduction; reading aloud 2 - 4 chapters

Characters - main, and minor

Dickens the writer: torture in love; despair, madness

Discussion: Dickens the lover; his own circumstances and his work

Discussion of characters' similarities and contrasts

Short vignettes roleplay

 

Thursday

Our Mutual Friend - reading aloud 2 - 4 chaps

If I was Mrs Dickens… Dickens's family, and his misogyny, bad behaviour

Short vignettes roleplay

 

Friday

Overview of the week's Dickens stories and characters

Roleplaying and final reading aloud

Final discussion and summing-up of the week

 

Background reading

Claire Tomalin: Dickens - A Life. Pub. Penguin 2012 Peter Ackroyd - Dickens. Pub. Vintage 1990.(2012)

 

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All courses run for 5 days

WK 1 8 Jul - 12 Jul

WK 2 15 Jul - 19 Jul

WK 3 22 Jul - 26 Jul

WK 4 29 Jul - 2 Aug

Morning Courses

9.15AM to 12.15PM

Afternoon Courses

1.45PM to 4.30PM

All Day Courses

9.15AM to 4.30PM