After Dickens World:

Performing Victorians at the Chatham Docks

Abstract

Dickens World first opened in 2007 and has since been interpreted through the lenses of literary tourism, post-modernity, and adaptation theory. But in 2013 the attraction restructured and changed focus. This article draws on research in immersive theatre, heritage studies, and theme parks to compare the original concept to the new. I argue that Dickens World is best viewed as a performance, and that comparing the two versions helps us rethink the role of Dickens World and other immersive instructive entertainment in the twenty-first century.