“Morning Chronicle! Get your Morning Chronicle here!”
Victorian London. A newspaper boy eagerly awaits the latest instalment of London Labour and the London Poor by Henry Mayhew.
Henry and his brother Augustus Mayhew toured the streets of London during the late 1840s interviewing the people who lived and worked on the streets. Paved with Gold focuses on the plight of the children – introducing us to such real-life characters as the Crossing Sweep, the Pickpocket and the Watercress Girl; “I ain’t never seen no children cry – there ain’t no use”. Blending puppetry and verbatim theatre, the interviews are entwined with the Newspaper Boy's story to tell of the glimmers of hope and tragedy genuinely experienced by these children. Suitable for ages 9 and upwards. Sponsored by the Everyman Theatre Education Dept. and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
