Thanksgiving weekend for many people means feasting on Thursday and spending the rest of the weekend scoring Black Friday deals. Some take the opportunity to use the time off to put up the Christmas tree, since the end of the November holiday usually marks the official start of the Christmas season. But at Vaillancourt Folk Art in Sutton, Massachusetts, the Christmas season doesn’t begin until Gerald Dickens arrives.
Dickens began performing his one-man show of “A Christmas Carol” over seven years ago as part of his US tour, presented by Byers’ Choice Ltd., and traditionally returns every Thanksgiving weekend to Vaillancourt Folk Art. This year He also includes an extra performance of an additional Dickens work, “The Signal-Man.”
On Saturday, November 26, Vaillancourt Folk Art was already decked like a sparkling Christmas wonderland, encasing the joyful spirit of the season throughout all parts in the store and workshop in honor of Dickens’ performances. While festive Christmas music played, the audience gathered, sprinkling tones of reds and greens around the historic room as they took their seats in excited anticipation for the performance of “A Christmas Carol.” The stage was decked like a Victorian living room with faux bois paneling by a fireplace with Vaillancourt Folk Art signature chalkware Santa figurines gracing the mantle.
As the bell tolled seven, Vaillancourt Folk Art owner, Gary Vaillancourt, welcomed the audience. After a brief history of the local 19th-century mill where Vaillancourt Folk Art is housed, the lights dimmed and Gerald Dickens entered silently as he mysteriously began the ghostly tale.
As Dickens performs, he embodies each character to make them easily discernible for the audience. His great range is a joy to see and shows the care and thought he puts into crafting not only a performance worth watching, but also in how the story is conveyed for the audience. In many ways, Dickens often becomes one with the characters and story—from his great facial expressions to the different tones and inflections in his voice. His sneer for Scrooge contorts his face menacingly, while Bob Cratchit is soft and gentle with wide eyes. A little-known, but fun character, Topper, a womanizer from Christmas present, is playful and alarming at the same time.
Dickens’ 19th-century garb also lends itself to bringing each distinct character to life. Scrooge is complete with his top hat with scarf and cane, while Dickens bunches his striped trousers and frock coat to portray Old Joe—the snivelly snot-laden pawnbroker who quickly became an audience favorite. With comedic touches just as in the novel, Dickens plays with the audience through these quirky characters, whose antics are met with great laughter.
Throughout the whole show, the audience was enraptured with Dickens performance. Many guests stared mesmerized from the first appearance of Scrooge in Christmas Past, right to when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come brought Scrooge to his grave. Dickens brings the story to life with full-force as he transports each character and scene magnificently in a way that lives up to the classic tale.
While visitors perused Vaillancourt Folk Art after the performance, Dickens took some time to greet the audience and signed copies of his souvenir program, which he created with his brother, Ian Dickens, to commemorate this year’s tour. The program is a great addition to Dickens’ performance, especially learning about his thoughts as he developed the show.
Celebrating Christmas wouldn’t be complete without at least some reading or other exposure to Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Dickens performing at Vaillancourt Folk Art is one of the best ways to begin the season. If Charles himself was the Dickens for the 19th century, we are so fortunate to have Gerald as the Dickens for our own.
For more information on Gerald Dickens and his US tour, visit his website, here.
See Vaillancourt Folk Art’s website here.
Originally featured in Wordsby Arts & Culture News.
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