''Coram Boy'' is a 2000 children's novel by

Jamila Gavin Jamila Gavin (born 9 August 1941) is a British writer born in Mussoorie in the United Provinces of India, in the present-day state of Uttarakhand in the Western Himalayas. She is known mainly for children's books, including several with Ind ...

. It won Gavin a

Whitbread Children's Book Award The Costa Book Awards were a set of annual literary awards recognising English-language books by writers based in UK and Ireland. Originally named the Whitbread Book Awards from 1971 to 2005 after its first sponsor, the Whitbread company, then ...

Stage adaptation

The book was adapted for the stage by

Helen Edmundson Helen Edmundson (born 1964) is a British people, British playwright, screenwriter and Television producer, producer. She has won awards and critical acclaim both for her original writing and for her adaptations of various literary classics for t ...

, with music by Adrian Sutton, and played for two runs on the Olivier Stage at the National Theatre in 2005-2006 and 2006–2007, also having a brief

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

production in 2007. The play received a number of

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

and

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newsp ...

nominations, and a

Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or Off-Broadway. It was first awarded for the 1945–1946 theatre s ...

for Xanthe Elbrick in 2007. ''Coram Boy'' was nominated for four

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known ...

in 2006: for Best New Play (Helen Edmundson), Best Director (Melly Still), Best Sound Design (Christopher Shutt), and Best Performance in a Supporting Role (Paul Ritter). ''Coram Boy'' was re-staged in 2011 by

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

Colston Hall Bristol Beacon, previously known as Colston Hall, is a concert hall and Grade II listed building on Colston Street, Bristol, England. It is owned by Bristol City Council. Since 2011, management of the hall has been the direct responsibility of ...

, again directed by

Melly Still Melly Still (born 22 August 1962) is a British stage Theatre director, director, designer and choreographer. Still's first professional theatre job was assistant to the choreographer of ''James and the Giant Peach'' at Ray DaSilva's Norwich Pu ...

, and featuring a cast, choir and orchestra from

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

References

{{Portal , Children's literature Costa Book Award-winning works 2000 British novels British young adult novels Children's historical novels Novels about slavery British novels adapted into plays 2000 children's books Foundling Hospital Children's books set in the 18th century