About 'The Ragged Child'  - 15th - 18th October 2008 - Melton Theatre 

What’s it about? What’s it like? Well, think “Oliver” or “Smike”, but with more bite. This is London in 1850, where scores of thousands of children live in conditions of squalor, vice, poverty and disease. Their desperate world contrasts vividly with that of the upper classes, with their comfortable salons and blinkered attitudes. They in turn contrast with the largely middle- class reformers who strive to improve the lot of the poor children through education, in the Ragged Schools. These reformers are backed by Lord Shaftesbury, whose conscience forces him to break ranks with his fellow aristocrats. The story focuses on one child, Joe Cooper, who is sentenced to transportation to Australia and 7 years’ penal servitude, for theft. He escapes from the convict ship and we follow his fortunes over the next 2 years. Ironically, he is given the chance to sail to Australia, with other children, there to start a new life; but fate catches up with him. Although the setting is dark, the show is enlivened by tuneful and easily accessible music, much of which you will recognise and regard as World War One music - for of course, the music of the trenches was largely the popular song of the Victorian age. The show is crowded with characters- there are over 80 named parts. It was originally written for The National Youth Music Theatre in 1986, which production included a then 14-year old Jude Law! Our production involves both young people and adults, all of whom are on stage throughout and join in nearly all of the 30+ musical numbers. You may not have heard of it: but that is no reason to miss the chance of seeing a compelling, innovative and moving musical theatre experience, which will be well up to Gasleak’s high standards and reputation.