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1.0 Plot summary

2.0 Stage adaptation

3.0 Footnotes

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Coram Boy Wiki Information

Coram Boy is a very successful children's novel by Jamila Gavin. Published in 2000, it won Gavin a Whitbread Children's Book Award. ^[1] The story follows a wide range of characters, from the rich Alexander Ashbrook to Toby, a young boy saved from an African slave ship, as their lives become closely involved with an authentic episode of British social history. It is an epic adventure which sheds light on a hidden part of the eighteenth century, child cruelty. The innovative work of the Foundling Hospital continues today and is carried out by the charity that still bears the founder's name,

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Plot summary

The benevolent Thomas Coram has recently opened a Foundling Hospital in London to save unwanted and abandoned 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. Amongst these is a cruel man named Otis Gardiner who drags along his mentally unstable, spasticated and retarded son, Meshak. Meshak is desperate to escape to the world of angels who he believes tell him "not yet".

This story intertwines with that of Alexander Ashbrook and his friend Thomas Ledbury. The two boys are avid fans of music and have a great talent for singing, particularly Alexander. Although Thomas is from a poor family, he spends his holidays at Ashbrook, Alexander's home. Here he meets Isobel, Edward and Alice, Alexander's siblings, and Melissa Milcote, the pretty daughter of Isobel's governess.

Alexander's father does not approve of his ambition to follow music as a profession and disinherits him. Alexander sleeps with Melissa and promises to marry her before running away. Meshak has noticed Melissa and believes she is "his angel". Thomas returns to the cathedral and meanwhile Melissa is pregnant, though she does not realise it until a servant tells her. She gives birth to a boy, whom her mother tells her is dead. However, Meshak takes the boy to the Foundling Hospital.

Eight years later, following the story of Alexander and Melissa's son (who has been named Aaron by the hospital) and his African friend, Toby, both of whom want to find their parents.

Stage adaptation

The book was adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson,with music by Adrian Sutton, and played for two runs on the Olivier Stage at the National Theatre in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007, ^[2] also having a brief Broadway production in 2007. ^[3]

Coram Boy was nominated for four Olivier Awards ^[4] in 2006 (London equivalent of the Tonys): for Best New Play (Helen Edmundson), Best Director (Melly Still), Best Sound Design (Christopher Shutt), and Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Paul Ritter). The play received a number of Tony Awards, ^[5] Drama Desk Awards and Outer Critics Circle Awards ^[6] nominations, and a Theatre World Award for Xanthe Elbrick in 2007. ^[7]