This groundbreaking book offers the first complete scholarly edition of Dickens's dramatic works. It challenges the previous neglect of these plays, recognising that his fascination with theatre, his playwrighting, and stage management of lavish amateur productions all had a formative impact on his professional identity and literary imagination. This pioneering critical edition of seven plays, single- and co-authored by Dickens, places his theatrical writing centre stage to encourage further critical work and interest in Dickens the dramatist - and, perhaps, new productions of the plays.