DJ Q&A

RD: I live in San Francisco with my wife, who is also the Director of Street Entertainment at the Dickens Fair. I have been involved with interactive theater since I was a young teen in 1979, performing at the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire and The Great Dickens Christmas Faire. I am the Northern Executive Director of the Guild of St. George Inc., which portrays the court of Queen Elizabeth I at several renaissance-themed events and which produces Charles Dickens’ Study at Tavistock House at the Dickens Fair. My primary interests are the arts, history and literature.

DJ: Describe the Great Dickens Christmas Fair.

RD: The Dickens Fair is a magical, immersive, interactive environment that depicts an idealized Victorian London on Christmas Eve. Guests wander through the streets of this carefully crafted London, where they can participate in period dance, enjoy recreations of Victorian theatre, and hear seasonal music from the period. There is unique shopping, with handcrafted wares displayed in charming shops — the artisans get into the spirit with costumes and characterizations that enhance the sense of stepping back in time. There are all manner of traditional foods on offer, and delicious drinks from an array of quaint pubs. What makes the fair exciting and different is that guests have the opportunity to encounter the citizens of London going about their business, as well as meet characters from Dickens’ novels.

DJ: How do you approach embodying Dickens’ appearance and personality?

RD: The public has a very distinct impression of the way Dickens looked from his myriad portraits and photographs: an older man with a severely receding hairline, a combover, and a large, bushy goatee. While my features and his don’t coincide exactly, I do what I can with my hair, beard and expression to emulate that image. He was considered something of a dandy and was prone to what some contemporaries thought somewhat vulgar tastes (though it’s hard to see that now), which I evoke with brightly colored garments, contrasting colors and plaids. Contemporary accounts of Dickens describe him as animated, energetic, driven and full of wit and humor. His face was mobile, his body restless; he would change his accent and voice, adopt different characters in his interactions with others, and could adapt himself with ease to any company. Before he became an author, his ambition was to be an actor. He also had a wide egotistical streak with a high opinion of his own talents and would refer to himself as “The Inimitable.” I try to bring this energy and brilliance to the role. I like to use Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka as a touchstone.

DJ: How do you participate in the fair?

RD: Much of my day is given to greeting and conversing with event guests in the streets and the Tavistock House environment, as well as with other characters, both historical and fictional (Dickens’ characters are real, living, breathing people in the context of the fair). I also give readings of “A Christmas Carol” in four half-hour parts throughout the day. If one is lucky enough to arrive early, one may attend the “morning tableau” just prior to opening, when Mr. Dickens greets the guests, sets the stage and introduces some of the characters one may meet.

DJ: What’s your favorite part of being Dickens during the Christmas season?

RD: Charles Dickens has become virtually synonymous with Christmas due to his popular, evergreen “A Christmas Carol.” I represent not merely a 19th-century author, but the thoughts, memories and emotions people have about the holiday. I enjoy bringing the man out of a vague, shadowy “yesteryear” and allowing the public to meet the man who has contributed so much to the magic they experience annually. After my readings, people will often thank me warmly and deeply, sometimes with misty eyes, because the story is such a deep and special part of their lifelong holiday experiences.

DJ: Can you share a memorable interaction you had with a fairgoer?

RD: I was interacting with a woman whose young child was dressed elaborately as a knight in armor (Link from the Legend of Zelda game). The child reached into a pouch, pulled out a small, triangular “crystal,” and offered it to me. Charmed and touched by his manner and the gesture, I crouched down and accepted his gift. Dickens himself had a troubled childhood and sought refuge in fantasy and adventure books. I said that I could see that he liked to play pretend and indulge in fantasies, and I insisted in no uncertain terms (as tears welled up in my eyes) that he should hang onto that spirit of adventure and never lose it. Never.

Fair particulars: The Great Dickens Christmas Fair takes place at The Historic Cow Palace Exhibition Halls, 2600 Geneva Ave. Daly City, for five weekends from Nov. 22 through Dec. 21, including the Friday after Thanksgiving. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors are encouraged but not required to wear Victorian costumes. Select shows for the deaf and hard of hearing by qualified ASL interpreters are scheduled for three Saturdays: Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13. For more information visit https://dickensfair.com.