Queen to mark Charles Dickens anniversary Characters from the novels Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby will come together in the production of a new script, by actor and director Philip Franks, at the Guildhall in the City of London, marking the bicentenary of the birth of the author. This evening, the royal couple are set to give a reception at Buckingham Palace, where guests will include members of the Dickens family as well as stars such as Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter. Bonham Carter and Fiennes are starring as Miss Havisham and Magwitch in the latest film version of Great Expectations. Also making an appearance at the event this evening will be Rowan Atkinson, who starred as Fagin in the West End production of Oliver!. As part of the reception, a related exhibition of items from the Royal Collection and Royal Archives will be displayed. It is expected that Republic, a pressure group which lobbies and campaigns for the abolition of the monarchy in the UK, will protest outside the Dickens event this afternoon.