Coram Boy (play)

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Coram Boy is a play written by Helen Edmundson with music composed by Adrian Sutton, based on the 2000 children's novel of the same name by Jamila Gavin, an epic adventure that concerns the theme of child cruelty. The play is called a "play with music", rather than a musical.

Contents

Synopsis

The action takes place in the eighteenth century. The benevolent Thomas Coram has recently opened a Foundling Hospital in London called the "Coram Hospital for Deserted Children". Unscrupulous men, known as "Coram men", take advantage of the situation by promising desperate mothers to take their unwanted children to the hospital for a fee. The story follows a range of characters, focusing on two orphans: Toby, saved from an African slave ship; and Aaron, the deserted son of the heir to an estate, as their lives become closely involved with this true and tragic episode of British social history. [1]

Productions

Coram Boy at the Imperial Theatre, New York Imperial Theatre NYC 2007.jpg
Coram Boy at the Imperial Theatre, New York

The show was first staged at the National Theatre in London from November 2005 until February 2006. It returned to the National Theatre from November 2006 to February 2007. [2]

The play then moved to Broadway at the Imperial Theater, starting previews in April 2007, and officially opening for a month-long run in May 2007. [3] The show was nominated for six Tony Awards but did not win any.

Melly Still was the director and co-designer (with Ti Green) of both the London and New York productions with Paule Constable designing lighting and Chris Schutt on sound. Still also directed the December 2011 production for Bristol Old Vic at the Colston Hall and the production was designed by Anna Fleischle, with lighting by Bruno Poet, and sound by Schutt. Adrian Sutton composed the music for all four versions. [4]

Coram Boy is frequently produced in Britain by Universities, Drama schools and amateur groups.

First London Cast (2005 - 2006)
Second London Cast (2006 - 2007)
Broadway Cast
Bristol - Colston Hall (Bristol Old Vic 2011)

The production also included a local cast of Coram children and a local ensemble.

Music

In the National Theatre and Broadway versions the music is performed by a 16-member onstage choir and a seven-piece chamber orchestra. In Bristol the orchestra was expanded to 20 musicians and the choir was joined at the end of act 2 by a local chorus of 40 performers. The music includes parts or adaptations of Handel's Messiah and Theodora, as well as over an hour of original music consisting of songs, period-style dance, and chamber music, as well as dramatic underscoring. [5]

Awards and nominations

Tony Award nominations (no wins):

2007 Theatre World Award - Xanthe Elbrick (winner)

Drama Desk Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play:

Outer Critics Circle Award nominations (no wins):

Olivier Award Nominations (no wins) Best new play (Helen Edmundson) Best performance in a supporting role (Paul Ritter) Best Director (Melly Still) Best Sound (Christopher Shutt)

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References

  1. ↑ Edmunson, H. (2005), Coram Boy: Based on the novel by Jamila Gavin, London: Nick Hern Books.
  2. ↑ "Coram Boy". National Theatre. 24 February 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
  3. ↑ Andrew Gans (27 May 2007). "Blue Boy: Coram Boy Closes on Broadway May 27". Playbill. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
  4. ↑ "Coram Boy - A Bristol Old Vic Production at Colston Hall". Bristol Old Vic. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
  5. ↑ Information about the music
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