Billy Elliot the Forum

Boy from Barnadoes? Never heard of him, either in London or the US. I thought that in the Christmas Party scene he was just one of the town kids, as he is in the Boxing Scene. The only two scenes where I have ever heard a name attached to him are the opening scene, where he is Kevin, and the audition scene, where he is Thomas.

I am not sure if anyone is confused here. In the London show the boy 'we' call Tall Boy is seen in three parts. Firstly, as Scab's son = Kevin, in the opening scene and other crowd scenes, then as Posh Dad's son = Thomas, in the Audition scene, and also as a Dr Barnado's child in the Christmas Party scene, but no name is mentioned.

Who is Dr. Barnado? I have never seen or heard of anyone identified as Dr. Barnado. Is someone listed in the cast list as playing Dr. Barnado? I have checked the cast list online and in the program, but I see no one credited as "Dr. Barnado." And I have never heard any of the cast use the name "Barnado" to anyone else while onstage during the scene.

It is towards the end of the Maggie Thatcher song Tall boy and a Girl come out in Pyjamas with a Mattress type thing strapped to their Back, with Coal not Dole or some such written on it. I'm pretty sure the "and our friends from Barnardos" reference was in the script at some time, although it may have been dropped. I can't remember it recently. Anyway this character seems different to Kevin, whose presence at the party might have caused problems for his dad. Dr. Barnardos is a childrens' charity historically for street children, so either the two kids are from an orphanage, Or its a reference to poverty and like kids scrabbling for coal on the slag heaps in winter where more than one died. Take your pick.

The children are introduced by Mr Braithwaite, who is playing keyboard. Following this is the Puppet Workshop Forum.

Val and Doreen's Political Puppet Workshop. "Let's be havin' 'em." Yes I'm familiar with all that, but as many times as I have seen the show in London since 2005 (and I have seen it many times), I have never ever heard a reference to Dr. Barnados in relation to the boy and girl in blankets with the signs on their backs. Not saying it wasn't inserted at one point for a time between my trips to London (understanding that bits of the script come and go, and then come back again over time--for example, Debbie climbing up the side of the toilet stall, which has reappeared with the advent of Kyria), but I am saying that it is completely unfamiliar to me.

If Tall Boy were only one character, he would be listed by that character's name, but he isn't, of course, because his job is to cover more than one child role. By the way, at one point in the history of the show, it was Tall Boy, not Leslie, who burst into the kitchen proclaiming, "They're busing the scabs in early!" Obviously, he is a child on both sides of the strike. I certainly remember that, but I am still at a loss about him being a child of Dr. Barnados.

ERinVA wrote:Who is Dr. Barnado? I have never seen or heard of anyone identified as Dr. Barnado. Is someone listed in the cast list as playing Dr. Barnado? I have checked the cast list online and in the program, but I see no one credited as "Dr. Barnado." And I have never heard any of the cast use the name "Barnado" to anyone else while onstage during the scene.

"Dr Barnardo' refers to the name of a group of homes for poor children, founded by a Dr Barnardo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_John_Barnardo

I imagine any reference to a 'Barnardo's Boy' in that scene would indicate a child from such a home. It was quite a common title for poor children, in those days. I imagine Lee Hall employed it to give another indication of the Christmas joy being celebrated, against a backdrop of extreme poverty.

Yes, I read the previous explanation about the home for children, and I now understand how a reference could be made in the scene. But I have never heard anyone insert a reference to Dr. Barnado in the scene. As I said, as things come and go in the script, it might never have been "in" when I have been at the London show, or it may have seemed to be a "throwaway" comment that didn't register on my radar. I'll specifically listen for it next time I'm there.

I will be at both performances tomorrow and will listen to see if I hear any references to 'Barnardos'.

As dancingboy says, Mr. B introduces the boy and girl (in a very loud announcement, LOL) as being from "Barnardos", immediately after the Thatcher Masks sequence is over. I have a feeling that this line was not always in the show but have no idea at what point it was introduced and had not noticed if it has now been removed in recent shows. We'll see tomorrow.

Pat