Performing at the Great Dickens Christmas Fair

Hello Dickens Fair performers and aspiring performers!

The Dickens Christmas Fair is a wonderful performing environment. We combine the magic of the traditional holiday season, with the writings of Charles Dickens and the rich tapestry of Victorian England to create a very potent and vital theatrical event. It's a combination of stage acting (and music) and improvisational acting, always involving the audience in what you're doing and encouraging them to feel part of the show. Even if you're just walking off to get lunch, you are your Victorian character walking off to get lunch, which is what makes our event such an involving one. We are an ensemble cast and all rely on each other to create a great show.

If you'd like to become part of this thriving theatrical environment, you need to belong to a stage show or performing group, or work in a booth or an ale stand. This page focuses on what you need to do to become a performer.

Some people perform in stage shows, some portray Dickens characters or historical personages in the streets of our London, or in environmental areas. All become a person from the Victorian age, with the clothing, language and personality of someone from that era. Since Queen Victoria reigned for over sixty years, we have chosen the 1860s as our historical focus.

A little Queen Victoria background | More about Charles Dickens

Entertainment at the Dickens Fair

The entertainment at the Dickens Fair is divided into shows, environmental areas and performing groups. Audition announcements will be posted in the email newsletters; see "missives" below.

Six Stages
(Each of these stages has individual shows which are auditioned by the directors)

• Fezziwig's Warehouse (Ballroom dancing and More)
• Victoria & Albert Music Hall (Family & Musical Entertainment until 5:00; then "Dickens After Dark")
• The Paddy West Stage (All Things Sea Faring)
• The Odyssey Theatre (Children's & Adventure)
• The Silk Road Stage (Music & Dance from Around the World)
• Mad Sal's Dockside Ale House (Slightly Scandalous Lower Class London)

Six Environmental Areas

• The Green Man Public House
• The Adventurer's Club
• Paddy West
• The Dickens Family Parlour
• Legion Fantastique (The Characters of Jules Verne)
• Fagin's Den

Characters from Dickens' Books

• A Christmas Carol
• Oliver Twist
• Pickwick Papers
• David Copperfield
• Great Expectations
• Nicholas Nickelby
• Our Mutual Friend
• Little Dorrit
• Martin Chuzzlewit

Other Street Groups

• Christmas Keepers
• Coster Mongers
• Coventry Carollers
• Jeremy's Escort Service
• Miracle Sweeps of London
• Temperance Union

Workshops, auditions and rehearsals are held starting at the beginning of November (the place will be announced in the missives), although most shows and groups are already well into rehearsals by this point. There is a meeting at 10:00AM on the first day of the workshops. Attendance at the meeting is mandatory, as is completing the assigned workshops. This is to assure that the performers have a clear understanding of the characters that they are playing and the vision of Dickens' London that we are trying to convey.

Show & Group Proposals If you are interested in proposing a group or show, please email Entertainment Director, Cat Taylor in July of the year for which you'd like to propose a show. You can reach her at cat@redbarnproductions.org

Would you like to be a performer at the Dickens Fair?

This is what you need to do:

#1 Sign up for the Missive List
Go to the missives page and use the link to join the  Missive List. In the months preceding the beginning of workshops, you will receive an email missive approximately every one to two weeks, informing you about workshops, performing opportunities at the fair, and other useful information. Just before we get to workshops and the fair itself, the frequency will increase to approximately once a week, sometimes more if there's a lot of news. We do not do physical mailings to our performers; the missives are the only way to stay apprised of all the important information about performing at the Dickens Fair. Missives from previous years, along with current information can also be found at http://www.cattaylor.com/missives.html

#2 Research!
If you spend much time commuting, listen to some of the Dickens books on tape or CD, to further your knowledge and fire your imaginations. Patrick Stewart's Christmas Carol (the audio version) is fabulous and so is the Oliver Twist read by Dick Cavett (no kidding). All of the Dickens books are downloadable for various PDA and mp3 formats, there are fabulous websites with entire books (accessible from the missive website), and there are movies galore; especially notable is the 1951 Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim. Of course, you could also actually read the books...

#3 Audition
Think about what you would like to do (dance in Fezziwig's, sing with the Carolers, portray a Dickens character) and watch the missives for auditions for that group or character. If you would like to propose a show or know a part in a show you would like to audition for, email Entertainment Director Cat Taylor at cat@redbarnproductions.org and tell her your idea, or ask to be connected to the director of the particular show. If you would like to audition for a specific Dickens character, email Robert Young at robert@redbarnproductions.org.

#4 Costume
Once you have an idea of what you'll be doing at the Fair, start putting your costume ideas together. There's lots of information on this website, so you can start looking around for appropriate garments. Remember, what you wear is determined by who your character is, so make sure you get the part you're auditioning for before you finalize your costume. Your costume will also have to be approved by the costume department for appropriate fit, style and materials before you will receive your gate pass.

#5 Workshops and Rehearsals
These begin at the beginning of November; the exact date and location is announced in the missives. There is a meeting at 10:00AM on the first day of the workshops. Attendance at the meeting is mandatory, as is completing the assigned workshops. All of the directors and workshop teachers will be introduced so you can see who everyone is. This is always a fun event. (There is also a mandatory morning meeting on dress rehearsal day, the last day of workshops.)  Some of the directors will still be looking for people; they will announce whether they are. Read the missives and look for groups that interest you. You must be part of a group to work at the Fair, whether it's caroling, dancing at Fezziwig's or being a Dickens character. Don't be shy; ask questions of the directors and see if it's what you want to do and might be good at.

Performer Requirements

#1 A completed registration form which includes:
#2 Your director's or booth owner's signature
#3 Costume Approval from the official costume department
#4  Sign-offs from the appropriate number of workshop teachers
#5 The $10.00 registration fee. (We accept checks, but cannot accept credit cards at Area 51 as we won't have a credit card terminal there.)

General Workshop Requirements

New Folks - Changed This Year!
New folks are required to take the two Orientation classes, the costuming class, either Victorian or Cockney language, and Physical Characterization. That's five classes. We would also like you to take a Character Lab or Improv workshop if possible. Please note that Physical Characterization is a prerequisite for the Character Lab and Improv classes. Please do not try to take the labs if you have not yet taken the Physical Characterization workshop.

We have added a new Orientation Class this year, so there are two:

• Orientation I: A Beginners Guide to Life And Times in Our London
• Orientation II: All You Need to Know about Dickens Fair - A Survival Guide

We hope this will help answer some more of your questions.

Dickens Fair Veterans
Dickens Fair Veterans please take a language class, either Physical Characterization or Character Lab (preferably both), and another workshop of your choice. Please note that Physical Characterization is a prerequisite for the Character Lab and Improv classes. Please do not try to take the labs if you have not yet taken the Physical Characterization workshop.

Class Size Limitations
Some classes can only accept a limited number of people at one time in order to functionally teach their class. Please arrive at that class early if that is the only time you can take it. If any of the teachers turn you away because their class is full, please do not argue, but come back at another time.

Take Lots of Workshops!
We encourage you to take as many workshops as possible, they are meant to be both fun and educational and will help you make your way more credibly and enjoyably through the streets of our London.

I know it may seem like old hat to some of you, but to have a real ensemble cast, we all need to work together and remember that we really are creating our version of Victorian England and should be representing our characters *ALL THE TIME* when in front of the audience. Workshops are the best way to make that happen and we are offering some new ones to keep it interesting. You veterans can be a real help to the new folks in the classes.

Note on Parking at The Cow Palace
We recommend that ALL PARTICIPANTS who will be parking in the Cow Palace parking lot purchase a parking pass for $45.00 per car (exact amount subject to change by the Cow Palace). This is our cost, so do not lose it as replacements will cost $45.00 as well. If you do not have a parking pass, the Cow Palace parking staff will charge you $10.00 per day.

Special Note for Caroling Groups
Do you have a costumed caroling group that would like to perform at the Dickens Fair for one very special day? Please contact Robert Young at robert@redbarnproductions.org and be prepared to send in a picture, an audio or video tape or CD, and a 19th century appropriate repertoire list. Please have a first and second choice for the day you would like to attend.

Entertainment Staff Information

Entertainment Director: Cat Taylor
Cat is Director of Entertainment for the Dickens Christmas Fair. As a show director and musician, she understands performing from both sides of the equation and endeavors to create a supportive and exciting, creative environment. Cat also founded and administers the missive list, keeping everyone informed about workshops, auditions and various details of our version of Victorian London. If you are interested in creating or performing in a stage show, contact her at cat@redbarnproductions.org

Street Theatre Director: Robert Young
In addition to playing Charles Dickens, Robert will once again be our Street Theatre Director. In that capacity he will not only oversee the performers playing specific characters whether historical, built 'whole cloth' or from the books, but also the entire tapestry of how all of the performers interact when offstage. This includes the stage actors who must remember whom they are portraying when they leave the stages. He will also be coordinating the special performance groups who come in from dance troupes, schools, etc. for special one day performances. You can reach him at robert@redbarnproductions.org