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Ragged to riches
The grimy, disease-ridden streets of Victorian London will fill the Rose Theatre this week when Kingston's very own musical, The Ragged Child, returns to the stage.
First performed back in 1986 by pupils at Tiffin School, the show highlights the hardships suffered by youngsters during the era and the sterling work undertaken to improve their conditions.
Co-writer of the play Frank Whatley returns to direct this new take on the show. And he explains how the project originally came into being.
Whatley says: "It was round about 1984 or 1985 and it was approaching the centenary of the death of the great reformer, Lord Shaftesbury.
"We were commissioned to write some songs to mark the event but, as we were researching it, I thought there was a fantastic story in there.
"So David Nield, Jeremy James Taylor and I all collaborated to create a piece of musical theatre about the Ragged School Union."
Whatley admits he had little idea the production would prove to be such a success.
But the 1986 performance, which featured then Tiffin pupil Jonny Lee Miller in the lead role of Young Joe Cooper, was a resounding hit.
Whatley continues: "The Tiffin show was a big success and we got to tour all around the country.
"Then we went to the Riverside Studios and recorded a version
which was put out on
BBC on Christmas Eve in 1989.
"After that, we did productions on and off throughout the 90s."
Whatley, who is also Head of School, Performance and Screen Studies at Kingston University, was heavily involved in the launch of the Rose.
And he reveals that his association with Kingston's spectacular new venue has paid dividends.
He adds: "We were discussing the opening season and I got thinking that I would try to get the same team back together and make a new production.
"Everybody has come back and is giving their time for free.
"The older members of the cast come from Kingston university and the younger members are drawn from all the local schools."
Despite being originally written in 1986, and being set in 1849, Whatley insists the musical holds as much resonance today as it did then.
And he is confident a modern audience will
find plenty to keep them enthralled.
He concludes: "It is a play that speaks for today just as it spoke back in 1986.
"There is still a lot of concern about social issues and they are reflected in the work.
"It has been so exciting coming back to it and, overall, it has been a fantastic experience.
"Bringing it to the Rose seems the perfect place for it."
The Ragged Child, Rose Theatre, 24-26 High Street, Kingston, April 9-13, £5-£20, 2.30pm & 7.30pm.
For more details call 0871 230 1552 or visit rosetheatrekingston. org
8:17am Thursday 3rd April 2008
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