+ OVERBLOWN CELEBRITY . . .
+ CYNICAL POLITICS . . .
+ DEVIOUS MANIPULATION . . .
+ EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN . . .
+ YOUNG MEN ON THE MAKE . . .
Mr DICKENS
&
Master BETTY
A TRUE STORY
Today we revere Charles Dickens as a classic writer and one of Britain’s greatest men. But his birth and upbringing did not auger such fame and fortune. Born in 1812 in humble circumstances he was at the age of twelve slaving away in a boot-blacking factory for six shillings a week.
William Henry West Betty better known as Master Betty the Young Roscius was a juvenile prodigy who at a similar age was earning £100 a night as the idol of the aristocracy.
This novella tells the story of an imagined meeting between the two in 1835 when Dickens is on the cusp of his great fame and Master Betty is a retired corpulent middle aged man. Dickens’s fiction was always strongly based on his investigative journalism and here he is in his element probing the truth behind Master Betty’s version of his extraordinary life.
Mr Dickens & Master Betty is a true story vividly and imaginatively told.
This unusually-written short novel reeks of the atmosphere of the early 19th century; through its pages weave many historical personages brought strikingly to life.
"What a brilliant idea to combine the old Master Betty with the young Charles Dickens . . . it makes for an enthralling read. Heartbreaking at times . . . I couldn't put it down - it is a history of the time."
Sir Donald Sinden Eminent actor and theatre historian
"Very fresh and vivid and illuminating of the young Charles Dickens."
Simon Callow Actor and writer
"This novel captures the atmosphere of the early 19th century through the lives of two of its most famous and celebrated personalities." BYGONE KENT Magazine
"Alan Stockwell has woven a fascinating story using fact with lively imagination, to recreate the lives of two young men. The author uses a clever device to tell their stories and [readers will] be moved by the exploitation of two children – Dickens in the blacking factory and ‘Master Betty’ on stage."
FIRST KNIGHT Journal of the Irving Society
". . . a touching story of a child being exploited by a parent, of a career that faltered . . . cleverly constructed and full of information about the theatre and personalities of the period . . . an imaginative presentation of considerable research. . . . an amusing picture of the somewhat prickly nature of Mr Betty and Mr Dickens’s imaginary relationship. . . . a fascinating story and a ‘good read’.
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE
|
5.0 out of 5 stars A top pick for historical fiction collections, October 9, 2010 In the nineteenth century, a novelist and philosopher were something often one in the same. "Mr. Dickens & Master Betty" delves into the story of two teenagers, one living as a prince, one as a pauper. They are Charles Dickens and Master Betty, also known as Young Roscius. Betty employs Dickens and their relationship isn't the best, but Alan Stockwell uses Dickens as a discussion of the early nineteenth century and makes for an intriguing read. "Mr. Dickens & Master Betty" is a top pick for historical fiction collections. MID WEST BOOK REVIEW
|
Alan Stockwell conjures forth Betty and Dickens as the two principal characters in this richly atmospheric theatrical novel. . . . the whole business of parliament being suspended in order to attend a performance by Betty is challenged . . . and Betty’s relationship with his tutor William Hough is exposed. . . . Playfair made this revelation much earlier . . . and more graphically by quoting a scurrilous pamphlet (“For I’ve a wondrous rod to pickle/Your pretty little bum to tickle”). Fiction can be an illuminating means by which to recapture that most fleeting of arts, acting; in this case Mr Stockwell has hit on the ingenious idea of recruiting the nineteenth century’s greatest novelist to abet him in his task.
THEATRE NOTEBOOK, SOCIETY FOR THEATRE RESEARCH
FOR MORE REVIEWS AND FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUTCHARLES DICKENS AND MASTER BETTY VISIT
www.MrCharlesDickens.com
TO BUY THE BOOK CLICK THE HAWK
