Dickens' Women at Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Chicago Tribune - Highly Recommended

"..."Dickens' Women," first performed by star and co-creator Miriam Margolyes in 1989, closes out a monthslong international tour in honor of Charles Dickens' 200th birthday Saturday at Chicago Shakespeare's intimate Upstairs Theater. And though it will surely resonate most strongly with Dickens disciples, Margolyes delivers a cunning, crowd-pleasing and occasionally heartbreaking tour through the distaff gallery of idealized ingenues, wily widows and grotesque gargoyles that fill Dickens' groaning board of Victorian life."

ShowBizChicago - Highly Recommended

"...Make no mistake, the success of this play, which is finishing a ten month tour, rest solely on the shoulders of master thespian Miriam Margolyes, whose career has spanned over half a century in radio, television, theatre, television and film. Modern audiences will recognize her from the Harry Potter films as well as playing Madame Morrible in the West End and Broadway productions of Wicked. She also is an accomplished voice-over artist including numerous popular animated films. Ms. Margolyes, who is a product of the untouched pedigree of British repertory, goes all in and totally inhabits every she character she plays. More than anything, Ms. Margolyes has a masterful command and control of the English language. That, combined with a booming voice which can morph instantaneously into different tones makes the stories come to life in a heartfelt and authentic manner. For the Chicago engagement, musical accompaniment is provided by the brilliant Robert Deason who must feel right at home as he spent much time in that particular theatre with the hit Murder For Two."

Stage and Cinema - Highly Recommended

"...It’s been two centuries since Charles Dickens’ birth. Miriam Margolyes, famed for her portrayals in Harry Potter, The Age of Innocence, and William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet offers a well-deserved homage in Dickens’ Women, a one-person tribute directed by Sonia Fraser now playing at Chicago Shakespeare only through Saturday. Dickens’ Women rather artfully includes fictional characters from his pages with actual beings from the scribe’s past who exercised influence over an impressionable lad, one whose bout with lower-middle class poverty kept him needy and insecure—both emotionally and sexually—for 58 years. It’s a rich and often enthralling evening of causes and effects."

Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Highly Recommended

"...You don't have to be well-versed in Dickens' books to enjoy this show. If you are, it probably heightens the appreciation for the clever literary lesson. I've read the biggies or seen the movie/play adaptations. Still, my lack of education didn't change my thorough delight in this show. DICKENS' WOMEN has two key ingredients: Dickens and Margolyes. Even with the unflattering depiction of his personal life, Dickens still comes off as a brilliant and timeless writer. Listening to passages from his books, I marveled at Dickens ability to craft words together. His vivid descriptions are amazing. This brief tutorial makes me want to re-visit every one of his books."