{"id":69630,"date":"2024-12-04T14:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-12-04T14:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?p=69630"},"modified":"2024-12-05T14:58:34","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T14:58:34","slug":"darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Dickens\u2019s \u2018darker side\u2019 revealed in poignant production about his life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"The What the Dickens cast with their instruments\n\" class=\"wp-image-69655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"The What the Dickens cast with their instruments\n\" class=\"wp-image-69655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Telling are touring What the Dickens until 8 December. The show is directed by Nicholas Renton | Image credit: Robert Piwko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A play which reimagines a Christmas Carol came to Cardiff last night, spotlighting Charles Dickens\u2019s past cruelty towards women in a society which isn\u2019t afraid to call out toxic male behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What The Dickens? explores Dickens\u2019s life through his relationships and treatment of women.It was written and produced by Clare Norburn, the artistic director of theatre company The Telling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two-act play was performed at the Church of St Edwards in Roath on 3 December and is a dramatic retelling of Dickens\u2019s much-loved seasonal story with carols and folk songs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dickens takes on the role of Scrooge on his final Christmas Eve, in 1869. He is haunted by his wife Catherine as the ghost of Christmas past, his mistress Ellen Ternan as the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas yet-to-come, who offers redemption for Dickens\u2019s cruelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alexander Knox, who plays a young Dickens, said: \u201cThe play explores the themes of gender and Dickens&#8217;s legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The narrative he&#8217;s been telling to the public is missing a lot of details,&#8221; he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dickens\u2019s problematic<strong> past<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Dickens\u2019s affair with Ternan, an 18-year-old actress, led to his separation from his wife Catherine. When the affair was revealed, Dickens launched a campaign against his wife, labelling her a bad mother and blaming her for the split.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There was an initial reluctance from critics to acknowledge Dickens\u2019s moral failings in his personal life, due to his association with traditional Victorian family values, said Holly Furneaux, a professor of Victorian literature and culture at Cardiff University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" data-id=\"69659\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Dickens meets mistress\" class=\"wp-image-69659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1.jpg 1482w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" data-id=\"69659\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Dickens meets mistress\" class=\"wp-image-69659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickenspresent-1.jpg 1482w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" loading=\"lazy\" data-id=\"69658\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Dickens cast over by shadow on stage\" class=\"wp-image-69658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" data-id=\"69658\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1024x512.jpg\" alt=\"Dickens cast over by shadow on stage\" class=\"wp-image-69658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-770x385.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1366x683.jpg 1366w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-585x293.jpg 585w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1170x585.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-293x147.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1-1400x700.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/dickensdarkside-1.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">In the play Dickens (left) first meets his mistress (right) while his wife looks on | Image: Robert Piwko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think in some cases, there\u2019s a sense of national identity or pride that Dickens has often been seen as synonymous with,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only recently has public perception of Dickens begun to change, with historians and critics reaching a consensus that Dickens had a \u201cdarker side\u201d in the 1940s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dr Peter Orford, academic associate of the Charles Dickens Museum, said: \u201cI think now we can recognise that he wasn&#8217;t a tortured genius, he was a happy enough guy, but there was a darker side as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It was only in 2010 that Catherine\u2019s voice was re-inserted into history with the seminal biography&nbsp; The <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/The_Other_Dickens.html?id=fb9Dn3yHmJMC\">Other Dickens: A Life of Catherine Hogarth<\/a> by Lillian Nayder. This debunked Dickens\u2019s portrayal of Hogarth as an unloved wife and mother.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following in the book\u2019s footsteps, What The Dickens? counters the traditional representation of Hogarth. In the play, her character said: &#8220;I watched from the sidelines as he enjoyed the attention of other women, young women, without the scars of 11 pregnancies.&#8221;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The show also focuses on Dickens\u2019s affair with Ternan, with Knox adding that despite outward appearances, the power dynamic between the 45-year-old and his 18-year-old mistress contributed to a borderline abusive relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2060I have immense sympathy for the women in the show,\u201d said Knox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Present<\/strong> significance<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecoro.co.uk\/event-news\/creating-what-the-dickens\/\">interview<\/a> with arts venue The Coro, Norburn reflected on the contemporary resonances of the play, in \u201cthe context of #MeToo and recent news stories of celebrities such as Huw Edwards and Phillip Schofield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The play is particularly pertinent in light of developing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cgj64237v6zo\">allegations<\/a> that Gregg Wallace was sexually inappropriate towards Masterchef contestants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a rebuttal, now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cvgx5ngze3xo\">dubbed<\/a> as \u201cinappropriate and misogynistic\u201d by No 10, Wallace claimed the complainants were a &#8220;handful of middle-class women of a certain age.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This tussle over control of the public narrative between Wallace and his alleged victims has remarkable similarities to Dickens\u2019s own attempt to protect his brand when his affair was revealed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>He was a happy enough guy, but there was a darker side as well<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/news\/2022\/04\/ai-study-finds-that-males-are-represented-four-times-more-than-females-in-literature\/\">study<\/a> conducted by University of Southern California in 2022 found male characters to be four times more prevalent in literature than female characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What The Dickens? joins a <a href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2019\/11\/02\/collaborative-to-celebrate-suppressed-females-in-art-and-music-exhibition\/\">growing body<\/a> of cultural works, including musicals Six, &amp; Juliet, and the book Hamnet which form a broader feminist project aiming to give greater weight to women\u2019s voices in their popular representation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFamous people are allowed to put forward a version of themselves and their lives,\u201d said Knox. \u201cDickens was really good at that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim\"><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"655\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-69641\" alt=\"Alexander Knox who plays young Dickens sat for an interview\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1024x655.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-770x492.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1536x982.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1201x768.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1689x1080.jpg 1689w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-293x187.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1400x895.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893.jpg 1894w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"655\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-69641\" alt=\"Alexander Knox who plays young Dickens sat for an interview\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1024x655.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-770x492.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1536x982.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1201x768.jpg 1201w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1689x1080.jpg 1689w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-293x187.jpg 293w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893-1400x895.jpg 1400w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/whatthedickens_boxout-scaled-e1733313845893.jpg 1894w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/noscript><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In conversation with young Dickens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-14bb05bc281902b2c43ba9fa7f5b1588\"><strong>We talked to the actor who plays young Dickens, Alexander Knox, about why he was drawn to the part<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-c6135ffb4da3735049099cf5c0e89a32\">\u201cI read it and I was interested in playing the young Dickens part. That kind of fired me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-42e95f3ac0a7a33e3ce21b5a15a1b7af\">I guess I was interested to find out more and learn more about the fact that, in this play, the older Dickens is sort of hiding his past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color has-link-color has-medium-font-size wp-elements-0606547d72d2f60ba3698e09505ac490\">All of us are there because we recognise the story, but the narrative of his own life that he&#8217;s been telling to the public and to the audience is missing out a lot of details.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contemplating the <strong>future<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The play raises questions about the image of revered historical figures, prompting audiences to reflect on how we should interact with artists and their art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not about giving them the answers, but opening the question,\u201d said Knox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furneax said works like What The Dickens? tie into ongoing discussions surrounding cancel culture.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cancel culture first came to collective consciousness in 2017. This year saw the rise of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thenationalnews.com\/arts-culture\/pop-culture\/2024\/05\/12\/operation-blockout-social-media-digital-guillotine-gaza-israel\/\">digitine<\/a> movement, which combines the words digital and guillotine, and involved millions blocking celebrities whose views or behaviour they find unacceptable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furneaux added we should be political in our reading of Dickens and acknowledge his \u201cgendered cruelty\u201d towards women. But this doesn\u2019t devalue his work or mean we shouldn\u2019t read it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of the play, Dickens is forced to reflect and repent on his actions. The ghost of Christmas yet-to-come shows Dickens his future, with his children turning against him following the death of his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHopefully a play like this will raise awareness,\u201d said Orford, \u201cand ask some important questions about our heroes and how we respond to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We spoke to the audience about the impact the play had on them:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@alt.cardiff\/video\/7444553768969981217\" data-video-id=\"7444553768969981217\" style=\"max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@alt.cardiff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@alt.cardiff?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">@alt.cardiff<\/a> What The Dickens? audience reaction We spoke to people at last night\u2019s showing of What The Dickens? \ud83d\udd6f\ufe0f  Want to know more about the play? Find the article on Alt.Cardiff by clicking the link in our bio! \u2728 <a title=\"whatthedickens\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/whatthedickens?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#WhatTheDickens<\/a> <a title=\"studentjournalism\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/studentjournalism?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#StudentJournalism<\/a> <a title=\"altcardiffreports\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/altcardiffreports?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">#AltCardiffReports<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"\u266c original sound - alt.cardiff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7444553826570488608?refer=embed\" rel=\"noopener\">\u266c original sound &#8211; alt.cardiff<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> \n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@alt.cardiff\/video\/7444553768969981217?is_from_webapp=1&#038;sender_device=pc&#038;web_id=7145871319400302085\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1191,"featured_media":69655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7936],"tags":[6470,8205,2610,448,8204],"coauthors":[8081,8076,8075,8083,8086,8072,8077,8084,8071],"class_list":["post-69630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-public-life","tag-metoo","tag-cancel-culture","tag-charles-dickens","tag-christmas","tag-womens-voices"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&#039;Darker side\u2019 of Dickens revealed in production about his life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;Darker side\u2019 of Dickens revealed in production about his life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"alt.cardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-12-04T14:00:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-05T14:58:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Eva Cahill, Alanya Smith, Alfie Bennett, Amelia Jones, Catrin Stephens, Lois Beasley, Mia Wilson, Molly Baker, Wiktoria Jazwinska\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@evacahill7\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eva Cahill, Alanya Smith, Alfie Bennett, Amelia Jones, Catrin Stephens, Lois Beasley, Mia Wilson, Molly Baker, Wiktoria Jazwinska\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/\",\"name\":\"'Darker side\u2019 of Dickens revealed in production about his life\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-04T14:00:58+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-05T14:58:34+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/e08671587a7a4ed184489bf27e5f162d\"},\"description\":\"What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":750},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Dickens\u2019s \u2018darker side\u2019 revealed in poignant production about his life\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/\",\"name\":\"alt.cardiff\",\"description\":\"If it\u2019s offbeat and in Cardiff then it\u2019s online here.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/e08671587a7a4ed184489bf27e5f162d\",\"name\":\"Eva Cahill\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/a9692d1e802d87b8e2113ad3beaaf348\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/avatar_user_1191_1730116116-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/avatar_user_1191_1730116116-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Eva Cahill\"},\"description\":\"Eva is a trainee magazine journalist. She has an interest in politics, social justice and environmentalism.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/readevacahill\/?hl=en\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/eva-cahill-90b8b81a8\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/evacahill7\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/author\/cahillem\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"'Darker side\u2019 of Dickens revealed in production about his life","description":"What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"'Darker side\u2019 of Dickens revealed in production about his life","og_description":"What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/","og_site_name":"alt.cardiff","article_published_time":"2024-12-04T14:00:58+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-12-05T14:58:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":750,"url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Eva Cahill, Alanya Smith, Alfie Bennett, Amelia Jones, Catrin Stephens, Lois Beasley, Mia Wilson, Molly Baker, Wiktoria Jazwinska","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@evacahill7","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Eva Cahill, Alanya Smith, Alfie Bennett, Amelia Jones, Catrin Stephens, Lois Beasley, Mia Wilson, Molly Baker, Wiktoria Jazwinska","Estimated reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/","name":"'Darker side\u2019 of Dickens revealed in production about his life","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-04T14:00:58+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-05T14:58:34+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/e08671587a7a4ed184489bf27e5f162d"},"description":"What The Dickens? gives a voice to the forgotten women of his past, amid the #MeToo movement and rise of cancel culture\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/12\/wholecast.jpg","width":1500,"height":750},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/2024\/12\/04\/darker-side-of-dickens-revealed-in-poignant-production-about-his-life\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dickens\u2019s \u2018darker side\u2019 revealed in poignant production about his life"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/","name":"alt.cardiff","description":"If it\u2019s offbeat and in Cardiff then it\u2019s online here.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/e08671587a7a4ed184489bf27e5f162d","name":"Eva Cahill","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/a9692d1e802d87b8e2113ad3beaaf348","url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/avatar_user_1191_1730116116-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/avatar_user_1191_1730116116-96x96.jpg","caption":"Eva Cahill"},"description":"Eva is a trainee magazine journalist. She has an interest in politics, social justice and environmentalism.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/readevacahill\/?hl=en","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/eva-cahill-90b8b81a8\/","https:\/\/x.com\/evacahill7"],"url":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/author\/cahillem\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1191"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69630"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69720,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69630\/revisions\/69720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69630"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/altcardiff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=69630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}