Overview
Synopsis
Based on the 1981 children’s novel of the same name, Goodnight Mister Tom follows the transformative journey of young evacuee, William Beech, During the air raids of World War Two, William is evacuated from London to a small village in the West Country. There, he is put into the care of Tom Oakley, a man who has been living as a recluse for over forty years. William comes from an abusive, sheltered background but, through Tom, he learns how to love, how to make friends, and how to be part of a family. Equally, Tom finds the company and role in life that he was desperately missing. However, when William is called back to London by his disturbed mother, William’s future looks at stake. Tom finds himself unable to give up on his young charge and he follows William to London. There, he rescues him from a desperate situation and begins to rebuild the young boy’s life once more.
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Context
Goodnight Mister Tom is based on the children’s novel of the same name by Michelle Magorian (1981). It premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2011 and transferred to London the following year. The play opened there at the West End Phoenix Theatre and ran for 9 weeks, until January 2013. The cast was led by Oliver Ford Davies as Tom Oakley and was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. This production then toured around the UK. The play was revived in the West End
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Act One
Goodnight Mister Tom centers around the story of ten year old evacuee, William Beech. He is sent from the east end of London to live in a small village in the West Country at the beginning of World War Two. William is billeted in the village with Tom Oakley, an older man who has lived as a recluse for over forty years. When he arrives, William is physically and emotionally scarred by the cruelty of his mother. Tom is shocked to see the extent of his bruising and how fearful
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Character Portrayals
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher