The great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens has been touring the United States with his one-man Christmas Carol show for 30 years now. Today his sponsor, Byers’ Choice Ltd., announced that the upcoming tour will be his final one. Here’s a link to the announcement on their website; they also e-mailed out a letter from Gerald Dickens himself, which reads in part:
“I am sure that you will all understand that this has been a very difficult decision to take, and one that does bring me great sadness, for I have enjoyed every day of my time touring in America. Over the years I have met so many kind and generous people, many of whom I am honoured to count among my closest friends. My joy of performing is undiminished, and while my days of touring are coming to an end, I hope that there maybe opportunities in the future to hear the laughter and applause of my American fans once more!”
Some of you may recall that I’ve gone to see Mr. Dickens perform this show several times and enjoyed it immensely. He’s a brilliant performer and (at the signings after the shows) wonderful to talk with. The tour dates for this final tour are listed here; if you have a chance to go, I highly recommend it!
And in honor of this final tour, Byers’ Choice has created a new limited edition Gerald Dickens figurine, complete with his signature top hat and fancy waistcoat! Go here to see him and to find purchase information.
(The photo with this post was taken at one of Mr. Dickens’s post-show signings in Occoquan, Va., several years ago.)
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