GreenLight Theatre Company Presents CORAM BOY April 19- April 23

Following a successful run in Bristol, young Production Company GreenLight Theatre brings their twisting 18th century melodrama of love, hope, evil, music and betrayal to Pleasance Islington for five nights only.

GreenLight Theatre is dedicated to creating innovative and imaginative performances in the south of England. Coram Boy is GreenLight Theatre's first production. The company is committed to the idea of productions generating money for charitable causes that relate to the content of the play and will donate 50% of Coram Boy net profits to the Coram Foundation.

With a strong student cast of 19, portraying a host of fascinating characters, paired with a choir and orchestra playing a newly composed musical score, this is an epic production not to be missed.

Split between Gloucester and London, Helen Edmundson's adaptation of Jamila Gavin's acclaimed novel follows the interwoven fate of two sons. We meet the mentally handicapped Meshak Gardiner, abused by his malevolent father Otis, and the passionate young musical savant Alexander Ashbrook. The murderous Otis swindles desperate mothers out of their money with false promises of their unwanted children's safe delivery to the Coram Hospital. But soon the sinister trafficker becomes entangled with the characters of the Ashbrook estate and the true nature of his dark secrets is revealed.

Jamila Gavin's novel Coram Boy won the 2000 Whitbread Children's Book of the Year Award. It is inspired by the real-life Foundling Hospital, founded by philanthropist Captain Thomas Coram. The dramatisation of Coram Boy by Helen Edmundson has been previously staged in a highly praised production by the National Theatre and briefly in 2007 on Broadway.

The Coram Foundation was the UK's first children's charity. 270 years on it continues the dream of its benevolent benefactor Thomas Coram who wanted to provide care for children left dying on London's streets. In aid of the charity GreenLight Theatre is donating 50% of the profit from the production to the foundation so that they can continue to find loving, stable families for children in the greatest need.

Venue: Pleasance Theatre Islington, Carpenters Mews, London N7 9EF, nearest tube Caledonian Road

Dates: Tuesday 19 April to Saturday 23 April 2011

Time: 7.30pm

Running time: approx. 2 hours

Tickets: £10-£12 adults, £8-£10 concessions, £6-£8 student concessions

Booking: 020 7609 1800 or www.pleasance.co.uk/islington.

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