The Ragged Child

Theatre reviews are not my strength – and you ought to publish in time so people can still see the show.

Yet I was so impressed by The Ragged Child - just finished at The Rose, Kingston - that I wanted to celebrate this unique production.

Unique, because this ballad opera was written, performed and produced by our own local community.

It’s a collaboration of pupils from Kingston schools, working with students from Kingston University.

Over 400 local children auditioned for parts, with over 20 winning through stiff competition.

And The Ragged Child was first performed at Tiffin School, with music and words partly the creation of two distinguished Kingstonians, David Nield and Frank Whately.

The Ragged Child tells of child deprivation in 1850s’ London. Then around 30,000 destitute children roamed the streets, and their experiences are described through the lives of orphaned brother and sister, Joe and Annie Cooper.

Thirteen year-old Joe tries to look after his consumptive little sister, but ends up sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay for theft.

It’s a moving story of their survival struggle, and of the efforts of Lord Shaftesbury to improve the lot of London's poor.

The young cast and band rose to the dramatic and musical challenges superbly, with Harry Ashbee as Joe and Anna Lancaster as Annie melting hearts.

The new Season’s offerings of plays, comedy, music, dance and talks can all be seen at www.rosetheatrekingston.org.

Ranging from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Ken Dodd, from Carmina Burana to P.G.Wodehouse’s Come on Jeeves, it’s looks exciting enough to (almost) match up to The Ragged Child.