Rochester Cathedral’s Dickens bicentenary programme is now taking shape and the latest project is about to go live!! Charles Dickens – Hero or Zero? is a new play by Alis Hawkins, commissioned by the Cathedral with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund .

It transports Dickens – quite literally – into the twenty-first century by teleporting him through time to a TV studio. Here, he is confronted by a pair of interviewers who, though they may look like Richard & Judy, have been taking lessons from Jeremy Kyle and Gerry Springer……

But Dickens isn’t going to leave the nineteenth century behind. He brings with him a colourful cast of characters whose varying views of the great man help the ‘studio audience’ decide whether Dickens really was the upright gentleman novelist and social reformer beloved of public and press alike, or whether, in fact, he was a cheating, hypocritical spin-merchant who knew how to present himself to the media.

Alis said “I really wanted to see what we would make of Dickens now, he’s a fascinating character, a brilliant writer, journalist and social reformer but also knew how work the media to his own ends to create his  massive celebrity status.”

The search is now underway for local talent to take part. Auditions for the play, to be performed in June 2012, will take place at the cathedral on:

Wednesday 23 Nov 7.30-9.30 pm

Wednesday 30 Nov 7.30-9.30 pm

Saturday 26 Nov 10 am – 12.30pm

If you’re interested or want further information, contact Helen Bradshaw on 01634 810066 or email Helen.bradshaw@rochestercathderal.org