THE new Dunster Winter Festival will receive a funding boost next month from London-based Quantum Theatre when it performs an adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic novel ‘Great Expectations’.

Quantum is performing in Dunster’s historic St George’s Church on Wednesday, June 12, and a percentage of the ticket sales will help to fund the new festival taking place over the weekend of December 7 and 8.

It will be a first visit to Dunster’s church for Quantum Theatre, run by the artistic director couple Michael Whitmore and Jessica Selous.

The couple are renowned for staging classic British plays in historic surroundings such as castles, stately homes, and National Trust buildings.

Dunster churchwarden Huw Morgan said: “We are thrilled to welcome Quantum Theatre to perform in our magnificent church.

Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations at the height of his literary career in 1860.
Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations at the height of his literary career in 1860. ( )

“We would love to see the church being used for concerts, plays, and other events for locals and visitors to enjoy.

“We also plan to write a tour guide of the church next year so visitors can properly immerse themselves in its long history and intriguing stories.”

‘Great Expectations’ is hailed as one of the greatest books in western literature, written in 1860 at the height of Dickens’s literary career.

Ms Selous said: “We are looking forward to performing this much-loved play in Dunster’s historic church.

“The surroundings will certainly give the story the prestige it deserves.

“Dickens’s strength lies in his remarkable skill to create a text that is light and humorous even amid hardships his characters face.

“My husband Michael, who choreographs and writes the adaptations, absolutely loves Dickens’s work and spends months on each text to ensure the condensed text keeps its original character and language.

“Michael, who directs all our plays, only uses Dickens’s own words as he wants the audience to feel Dickens’s presence on stage.

“The principal object for us is to bring Dunster a great night with fun, engaging and dramatic characters, and leave the viewers feeling thoroughly entertained.”

Tickets for the play, which is suitable for anybody from the age of seven years, can be purchased online at www.quantumtheatre.co.uk or by calling 020 8317 9000.