#newsies London

[brooklynbadboys]

let’s all say it together. thank you jeremy jordan for newsies content. you own our hearts <<3

[the-mossy-rock]

Modern!Jack Kelly would have white high top converse and he’d paint them 🥰

[newsiesstuff]

GUYS RYAN’S POOR GUY’S HEAD IS SPINNING IS JUST SO SWEET. ITS LIKE I LOVE HIS VOICE ABDHUSVDHQNDYAIAB

[asexualenjolras]

It is one week until Newsies London closes in Wembley, and I got to see it again the other day, so I want to talk about Ryan Kopel and his beautiful portrayal of Davey Jacobs one more time.

I love how Ryan portrays Davey to be autistic. Ryan has said that he plays Davey in a way that exemplifies his quirks, and it really works in this production. It’s what I am going to miss the most. I’ve never felt more seen.

As an autistic person myself, I have always headcanoned Davey as being autistic – in every format of Newsies previously. Ben Fankhauser’s Davey was always autistic-coded to me – his portrayal was one of my favourites. And I was nervous about seeing another actor take on a character that means so much to me ... but Ryan took Davey and made him even more autistic and I am so, so grateful and in awe of his talent.

Let’s talk about Davey Jacobs and his autistic traits, as portrayed by Ryan Kopel in West Endsies:

- Stimming:

Davey is stimming the WHOLE SHOW. And that’s not an exaggeration. He is shown to bounce on his toes, he is constantly fidgeting with his fingers (and standing with those stereotypical t-rex arms) and he runs his hands along his newsie bag, and he does a few little spins when he's excited, and he jumps up and down at one point.

- Difficulty with social interaction:

From the first moment that Davey is on stage, he is shown to be incredibly uncomfortable talking to other people. He is shown to stammer over his thoughts and struggles to coherently converse with the other characters on the stage. He is portrayed as someone that is reluctant to speak, and he stutters and rambles and struggles to maintain eye contact, looking down at his fidgeting hands a lot. Ben Fankhauser made Davey more confident in his ability to share his thoughts, but Ryan’s Davey struggles - both internally and externally - with this.

He is also shown to have a one track mind in conversations. He struggles to see why Jack is having doubts after the rally because he, personally, thinks it was a success. Davey is bouncing around and his tone is so light and he is so confused by Jack's doubts. It's so autistic. It's so relatable.

- Relationship with physical contact:

Davey is shown to struggle when people suddenly touch him, he flinches and wipes the touch away whenever he is uncomfortable. BUT he initiates touch with those that he trusts. He's so physical with Les, constantly holding him and giving him reassurance through taps. He is shown to hug Jack and he hugs Crutchie and it's nice to see.

- Strong moral compass:

Unlike Ben Fankauser’s Davey (who I LOVE), Ryan’s Davey is shown to be more reluctant to join in on the strike – he is a lot more sheltered, and is completely isolated on one side of the stage in that scene. Davey looks down to his feet and looks to be at war with himself. He looks completely defeated when Jack asks if his father would be in the mess he was in if he had a union, because he knows that Jack – this boy that he has just met – is right. But he is so conflicted because he knows that this is going to be difficult, and he’s so worried and so anxious and so questioning about what the right thing is. It’s such a minor part of the show, but it’s there and I love it.

- Autistic joy:

I don’t know how else to word this but the way that we see Davey unmask throughout the play makes me so smiley. We see him go from this uncomfortable, awkward, masked version of himself in the beginning to someone that genuinely feels accepted and like he has a place in this strike and in the Newsie family. The excitement in his voice when he is talking to Jack in Medda’s is UNMATCHED. He’s so bouncy and light and he’s STIMMING and he’s so happy. I love it.

I could go on and on but I won’t. I just really love the artistic differences between Ryan and Ben’s Davey Jacobs’. I love both of their adaptations, but Ryan’s Davey feels so authentically autistic. And I am PRAYING we get to see his Davey immortalised in a pro-shot?! PLEASE?!

Ryan Kopel, thank you so much for giving us this wonderfully autistic Davey Jacobs on stage.

[slingshotsandrosarybeads]

Found this on TikTok

[antinouswilder]

strong contender for the best part of newsies uk

[whoops-im-obsessed]

"Dumb crp's just too damn slow" sorry Jack inaccurate this is uksies and matthew duckett is on his way to mow you down

[thecoloursoot]

When Albert first joined the newsies he was a loose cannon. They were all rowdy, they're teenage boys after all, but Albert was more than boisterous, he was angry.

He was angry to the point that the others were somewhat scared when one of the littles approached him complaining that he couldn't sleep. They expected him to be brushed off at best, shoved off at worst. Nobody expected Al to pick him up, hoist him over his shoulder until he squealed with laughter and haul him off for a bedtime story.

[lithuanianking]

Give me newsies stuff to draw I'm in the mood

[someday-becomes-somehow]

anyway was anyone at newsies this afternoon because my friend was

[to-be-a-dreamer]

West Endsies Sprace is peak "badass woman who is so deeply in love with her pathetic wet cat of a boyfriend" energy except Race is actually just as capable as Spot and she will kick your ass if you imply he is anything less.

Spot: Wow my boyfriend is such a loser

Anyone Else: Lol yeah he is

Spot: Tf did you just say? *beats them up*

[brooklynbadboys]

babe wake up unseen newsies pics just dropped

📷 robynlawesix13 on ig

[the-mossy-rock]

GUYS I JUST GOT BACK HOME FROM NEWSIES REHEARSAL AND IM STUCK IN THE VOICE WHAT DO I DO 😭

[splashuttons]

thinking of little baby splasher hiding from the fight and then running in hoping to help his brothers but then it all goes wrong :(

[thesongofpurplesummer]

Newsies lyrics/lines that hit different (Add yours)

“So the world says no! Well the kids do, too! Try to walk all over us, we’ll stomp all over you!” -The World Will Know

“Courage cannot erase our fear. Courage is when we face our fear.” -Seize the Day

“Why should you spend your whole live livin’ trapped where there ain’t no future, even at 17, breaking your back for someone else’s sake?” -Santa Fe

“You can’t undo the past so just move on and stay on track.” -Watch What Happens (reprise)

“The things we do today will be tomorrow’s news!” -The World Will Know

“We won’t let them bastards beat us. We won’t beg no one to treat us fair and square. There’s a life that’s worth the livin’, and I’m gonna do my share.” -Santa Fe (Prologue)

“Once and for all we won’t carry no banners that don’t spell freedom!” -Once and for All

“Just look around at the world we’re inheriting and think of the one we’ll create. Their mistake is they got old, that is not a mistake we’ll be making. No sir, we’ll stay young forever!” (From @ohsomagicalmuffin)

“Write it in ink or in blood it’s the same either way (and the nod from Bill)” -Once and for All (From: @katherinebly )

“Proud and defiant, we’ll slay the giant.” -Seize the Day (From: @descent-into-savagery)

“I can’t spend my whole life dreaming, though I know that’s all I seem inclined to do.” -Santa Fe (From @ohsomagicalmuffin)

“Ten thousand kids in the square! Ten thousand fists in the air! Joe you is gonna play fair, once and for all!” -Once and for All (From @toomanyfandomsstuff)

(THE KEY CHANGE) “There’s change comin’ once and for all! You’re getting too old, too week to keep holding on. A new world is gunning for you, and Joe we is, too, ‘till once and for all you’re gone!” -Once and for All (From @toomanyfandomsstuff)

[slingshotsandrosarybeads]

Someone needs to take that slingshot away from Matthew . He’s a menace 🤣