Charles Dickens: A Brain on Fire! 🔥

Dominic Gerrard
  • 4.9 (34)
  • BOOKS

Actor Dominic Gerrard hosts an exciting new series that explores the Life and Times of Charles Dickens: his extraordinary novels, who he was as a person, his career as a performer, and his activism. Guests include: Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes, Armando Iannucci, Alice Loxton, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Lucinda Hawksley, John Mullan, Pen Vogler, Andrew Davies, Rosie Holt, Bernard Cornwell .... and many more academics, writers, actors, directors and descendants of the great man himself! Along side these interviews there are special Dickens readings from across his works ...Thank you for listening 🔥 

  1. A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Excerpt) : Read by Dominic Gerrard

    19H AGO

    A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Excerpt) : Read by Dominic Gerrard

    Dominic shares an excerpt from his upcoming audiobook of A Christmas Carol which will be released in the New Year ... MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! This content is not available for AI training or scraping. All rights reserved. Recording and Artwork owned by Dominic Gerrard Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    20 min

  2. 1D AGO

    The Muppet Christmas Carol: with Meredith Braun

    This Christmas Eve ... Dominic is joined by the inimitable Meredith Braun, who played Scrooge's love interest Belle - opposite Michael Caine (and Fozziwig!) - in Brian Henson's The Muppet Christmas Carol ... Meredith shares her memories of filming the role, whilst simultaneously playing Eponine in the iconic West End production of Les Miserables ... A special thank you to Tim Hutton at Stage Door Records for allowing the use of the recording of When Love is Gone  from Meredith's 2017 album of the same name ... When Love is Gone is available to purchase here at Stage Door Records or Amazon. It can also be streamed on Apple and Spotify HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!! Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    43 min

  3. 1D AGO

    A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Part Two) 📚 : with John Bowen

    Welcome to Part Two of Dominic and John Bowen's journey through A Christmas Carol ... With readings again from Hollie Hales and violin parts performed by Alexis Bennett. HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!! This episode was first broadcast on December 28, 2024 Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    53 min

  4. 2D AGO

    A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Part One) 📚 : with John Bowen

    It’s Christmas Eve, and Dominic takes a deep dive with you all through A Christmas Carol. Returning to the series is the inimitable Prof. John Bowen (who recently worked on David Edgar’s Carol adaptation for the RSC) and who like many of us, re-reads this ghostly little book every Christmas and has pondered its power and meaning for decades. The Carol Philosophy that Dickens expresses so generously in this story is truly universal: everyone has a chance to change and not be fixed, or branded, as the worst version of themselves. Dickens’ righteous anger here is channeled and diffused with goodwill, laughter and an unyielding determination to think only the best of people … Joining the series again to read excerpts is the fantastic Hollie Hales and the violin you will hear throughout is played by the brilliant Alexis Bennett This episode was first broadcast on December 24, 2024 Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    55 min

  5. 2D AGO

    A Dickensian Christmas Dinner: with Pen Vogler

    Dominic is joined by the wonderful award winning food historian Pen Vogler who returns to the podcast to talk about Dickensian Christmas Dinners ... Focusing on Dickens' five Christmas books - A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life  and The Haunted Man  -  Pen explores what the characters eat and why. From the Cratchit children 'basking in luxurious thoughts of sage and onion'; Trotty and Meg sharing a dish of a tripe outside on the steps; Edward and May’s wedding; Dr. Jeddler’s breakfast out in the orchard; and the Tetterby family’s knucklebone of pork and pease pudding. Pen's books - such as Dinner With Dickens  and Stuffed are available to buy here: https://thesohoagency.co.uk/authors/pen-vogler This episode was originally broadcast on 20th December 2023 Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    41 min

  6. 2D AGO

    THE CRICKET ON THE HEARTH 📚 : with Lydia Craig

    Dominic is joined again by the inimitable Dr. Lydia Craig where they dive into Dickens' third Christmas Book, with readings from the award-winning actress Penelope Rawlins The Cricket On The Hearth - published 180 years ago this year - explodes into life from the very start and hardly pauses for breath until the very end. Its unrelenting pace sweeps its characters along whether they be human, animal, insect or household object …  Centred around that fabled victorian fireside. Where dreams and visions appear happy in the glowing light but depressed in the shadows, there sits John Peerybingle with his pipe. His occupation as a carrier brings one of the many Christmassy elements to the book, in his daily round of delivering parcels out in the raw Winter weather. His wife Dot - as in the brightest little star that ever shone - is a young, energetic woman, who races about their home. Another Christmassy element in this story is the occupation of Toy-making. Enter Caleb Plummer and his blind daughter Bertha who make Dolls for the nasty, crab-faced Tackleton. And tearing in and out is the excited dog, Boxer seen as a spec in the distance one moment, then suddenly up close with his wet nose pressed into your face … Last but not least, is the magical Cricket ... HAPPY CHRISTMAS !!! Intro Music and Additional SFX provided under license by Epidemic Sound Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    55 min

  7. 3D AGO

    Christmas Carols: with Harry Christophers & The Sixteen

    Dominic is joined by the inimitable Harry Christophers CBE , founder and conductor of The Sixteen, one of the worlds most revered choral ensembles. With thanks to CORO for these stunning Christmas excerpts: Carol of the Bells  Apple / Spotify Pilgrim Jesus  Apple / Spotify Of a Rose  Apple / Spotify  This Have I Done ... Apple / Spotify Lo, How a Rose e'er Blooming  Apple / Spotify O Radix Jesse Apple / Spotify  Past Three a Clock Apple / Spotify For unto us ... Apple / Spotify Amen ... Apple / Spotify God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen  Apple / Spotify Wassail Song   Apple / Spotify Good King Wenceslas Apple This Little Babe  Apple / Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    52 min

  8. 3D AGO

    ‘What Brutal Hand …?': with Lydia Craig

    *This episode focuses on the theme of domestic violence* Dominic shares a bonus fragment from his last interview with Dr. Lydia Craig on The Haunted Man and The Ghost's Bargain ... It is a moment in the story where Redlaw comes across ‘a woman sitting on the stairs, either asleep or forlorn’ and ‘whose head’ is ‘bent down on her hands and knees.’ Redlaw sees that her arms are ‘black, her face cut, and her bosom bruised.’ It’s a deeply powerful, moment in the story, that reveals Dickens’ compassion not only for the poor, but for women on the receiving end of violence and abuse at the hands of husbands, partners, fathers or sons … Given that there is a spike in this cruel and vicious behaviour over the holiday season it makes this moment in Dickens’ final Christmas book a clarion call for our society today …  This episode was first broadcast on 24th December 2024  Support the show If you'd like to make a donation to support the costs of producing this series you can buy 'coffees' right here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dominicgerrard Thank you so much! Host: Dominic Gerrard Series Artwork: Léna Gibert Original Music: Dominic Gerrard Thank you for listening!

    5 min
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4.9
out of 5
34 Ratings

About

Actor Dominic Gerrard hosts an exciting new series that explores the Life and Times of Charles Dickens: his extraordinary novels, who he was as a person, his career as a performer, and his activism. Guests include: Stephen Fry, Miriam Margolyes, Armando Iannucci, Alice Loxton, Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Lucinda Hawksley, John Mullan, Pen Vogler, Andrew Davies, Rosie Holt, Bernard Cornwell .... and many more academics, writers, actors, directors and descendants of the great man himself! Along side these interviews there are special Dickens readings from across his works ...Thank you for listening 🔥 

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