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January

Image of Dickens in London (2011) by Chris Newby Courtesy of Dan Films

Dickens in London

Date posted: 25.01.2012

Dickens in London, made up of five new short film works by artist film-maker Chris Newby and new radio plays based on the writing of Charles Dickens, will be broadcast over five consecutive days from Monday 6 February as part of an innovative cross platform project, produced by Film London, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Drama.

Dickens in London brings together film-maker Chris Newby and scriptwriter Michael Eaton to form a biographical portrait of Charles Dickens's life via film and the spoken word. Newby was commissioned to produce five new short films to accompany five the radio plays written by Eaton, which will be simultaneously broadcast over five consecutive days, and also enjoyed as a feature length piece of work.

Starting on Monday 6 February at 10.45am, with a repeat airing at 7.45pm, Dickens in London will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 with the films available to view simultaneously, online and via Red Button.

Dickens in London  will also premiere in full at BFI Southbank on Tuesday 7 February at a special event celebrating the actual anniversary of Dickens's birth.

Newby's films, commissioned by FLAMIN and produced by Dan Films with funding from Arts Council England, employ a diverse range of devices, techniques and approaches. Throughout the five striking films, Newby combine superimposition, compositing and other digital effects, alongside nineteenth century photographs and other archive materials and also feature a set of Dickensian puppets.

Each radio play forms the soundtrack for the five films and features the voices of Samuel Barnett, Alex Jennings and Antony Sher, who each take their turn to play Dickens. The music is composed by Neil Brand.

Maggie Ellis, Head of Production and Talent Development, Film London comments: "Dickens in London is a striking and wonderful collaboration between film and radio which can be enjoyed across a range of platforms. It successfully achieves the core aim of the Film London Artists' Moving Image Network (FLAMIN), which is to support London artist film-makers by commissioning interesting new artworks and using inventive ways to bring this important work to new and wider audiences."

Chris Newby's previous films include, The Old Man and the Sea, an evocative juxtaposition of marine, religious and body imagery, Madagascar Skin, starring John Hannah and Bernard Hill and the FLAMIN-supported short film Metamorphosis.

Dickens in London was commissioned as part of Dickens 2012, an international celebration of the cultural and educational significance of the life and work of Charles Dickens to mark the bicentenary of his birth, co-ordinated by the Charles Dickens Museum and Film London in association with the Dickens Fellowship.

Dickens in London continues the successful and ongoing partnership between Film London and BBC Radio Drama, established with The City Speaks commission, broadcast in 2008.

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Dickens in London
will be broadcast on Monday 6-10 February at 10.45am and 7.45pm on BBC Radio 4 - and watch the film online at bbc.co.uk/radio4 or push the Red Button. Catch the omnibus on Saturday 11 February at 12noon on BBC Radio 4 Extra.