One would be hard pressed to find a person on Bainbridge Island who had never heard of Charles Dickens. What they might not know is that Dickens had early ambitions to be an actor not an author. Later, he combined his two loves with ambitious tours where he would  present theatrical readings of his most beloved novels to rave reviews.

Bainbridge Island actor Tim Tully has combined two of his passions – a fascination with Dickens and theatrical readings about literature. In “Dickens Reading Dickens,” Tully presents lively dramatic readings from three of Dickens’ most popular pieces of fiction: “Oliver Twist,” “Great Expectations” and “Nicholas Nickleby.”

Wearing an authentic Victorian costume, designed and constructed by former Broadway costume designer Barbara Klingberg, Tully delivers a show full of delightful character impressions and accented rendering of Dickens’s unique literary style with its vivid depictions of the colorful people, places and tales recounted from the society and time of 19th century England’s industrial age.

Tully is a recognized veteran of the stages of Bainbridge Island, Seattle and Kitsap County, acting and singing in plays and musicals for Bainbridge Performing Arts, Island Theatre, Taproot Theatre and others.

The presentation includes an authentically detailed replica of Dickens’s traveling lectern-desk built by Bainbridge Island artist Denise Harris from photos and plans of the author’s original.

The show is directed and produced by Island Theatre co-founder and director Stephen Stolee.

A new Twist

Bainbridge actor Tim Tully presents “Dickens Reading Dickens,” a re-enactment of Charles Dickens’ reading tours at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art at SR-305 and Winslow Way.  Tickets are $10.

For more information, search Dickens Reading Dickens on Facebook.