DH310

Label

Dickens first read Sikes and Nancy (a stand-alone reading of the scene in Oliver Twist where Bill Sikes murders Nancy) on his 1868 'farewell' reading tour. He enjoyed the audience's response but the exhausting performances may have contributed to his declining health. He completed 75 of a scheduled 100 performances, suffering dizziness, paralysis, and a stroke in 1869 which cut the tour short. This 1870 reading at St. James's Hall was one of 12 performances to make up for the cancelled dates. They ran between 11 January and 15 March 1870, a few months before his death in June 1870.