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Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice first met in April 1965 and were very soon writing their first musical together, THE LIKES OF US, based on the early life and times of the Victorian philanthropist, Dr. Thomas Barnardo.
The story of the show describes Barnardo’s arrival in London’s East End in 1866, his initial evangelical work and his eventual recognition of the plight and poverty amongst homeless children in the capital. The show depicts Barnardo’s first meeting with Syrie Elmslie who eventually became his wife and how the first Barnardo’s home for children came into being in 1867.
The show features eight principal performers and adult and children’s choruses. It includes memorable solo songs such as TWICE IN LOVE EVERY DAY and A STRANGE AND LOVELY SONG and full scale chorus numbers such as GOING, GOING, GONE and HAVE ANOTHER CUP OF TEA.
The show was completed by 1967 but was not produced at the time as the subject of children in Victorian London had been successfully covered by OLIVER by Lionel Bart. However, THE LIKES OF US was produced as a showcase performance in 2005 and the resulting performance was released on CD and broadcast by BBC Radio.
The show has been performed by more than fifty amateur societies and schools in the UK & Eire since being made available for performance in 2009.
