The Dickens festival in Drunen, which was canceled for the past two years because of corona, is slowly but surely waking up from a long winter sleep. Although the number of infections and hospital admissions due to corona is increasing again, Maurice van der Steen of the organization is confident that the festival can continue this year: “Like other years and without restrictions.”
“Specialists and experts now look at corona differently than two years ago and last year,” he says. “We are no longer going into lockdown is the message from the government. The expectation is therefore that the Dickens festival will absolutely continue.”
Van der Steen: “Preparation will start next weekend. We then introduce a hundred extras to the Victorian era in the middle of the 19th century.”
“A director uses film images, prints, books and sound to introduce our extras to that period. The poverty, the street rascals, but also the wealth are discussed. In this way she shows the extras what we expect from them at the Dickens festival,” says Van der Steen. “What role do you have and how can you blend in with the crowd?”
Unlike many other events, the Dickens Festival has no shortage of volunteers. “Although we have been silent for the outside world for two years, we actually have more volunteers. We have new people, but also returnees who started to feel the itch after a few years,” says Van der Steen.
“Two years without a Dickens Festival has not had any negative consequences for the organization,” he continues. “We were able to cover a few things financially and we have had support, also from the municipality of Heusden.”
The Dickens Festival that will once again take possession of the center of Drunen on 17 and 18 December was founded 18 years ago. “The next edition will be the 16th edition due to corona,” says Van der Steen.
“In 2004, entrepreneurs in Drunen put their heads together to do something around Christmas. It was even suggested at the time to organize carrying Santa Claus as an event. Fortunately, that was the Dickens festival that attracted around 40,000 visitors every year until corona. Van der Steen also says that admission to the Dickens Festival is and will remain free.
“Entrance is still free and will remain so.”
Drunen’s most famous extra is Hans Walters. “He has been playing the part of Ebenezer Scrooge with conviction for years, a role that is tailor-made for him.” Scrooge is an embittered miser from ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. “Walters is also now working on a series of Dickens drawings and prints that will be exhibited in Drunen from December 10.”
