#disabled actor

In 92'sies, Broadway and even tour casts, Crutchie has always been a bit of a lighter character. A brother figure to Jack, his role is to show Jack's caring side as well as to show the consequences of his actions. Pretty well liked, sometimes portrayed as childish (is it only me that remembers #letcrutchiesayfuck?).

In 92'sies he comes across as bumbling comic relief, AKB builds a more sunny, easily lovable, almost cartoonish character, and Andy Richardson's Crutchie is innocent and youthful.

In contrast, Matthew Duckett brings a realness to the character that I'm not sure we've seen before. Duckett has cerebal palsy - and while its none of our business how his disability affects him offstage - on stage its my opinion that his lived experience, combined with the fact that he's on the taller side and seems to be a little older than some of the ensemble (please forgive me if I'm wrong about that 😅) give us this slightly more matured, starker Crutchie.

He isn't a poor cinnamon roll who needs to be helped all the time, he's a valued member of the team who they help when he wants it.

One of the choices I love is when the newsies first find out about the new price. Crutchie's reaction ('we got the right to starve, let's just get our papes and hit the streets while we still can!') Isn't a scared knee-jerk reaction, it's a thought out, sensible response to the situation and lots of newsies agree with him. He's taken more seriously than before, with a depth to his character we were missing.

Duckett also adds some fun backstory to Crutchie; on the rooftop when Jack mentions Santa Fe Crutchie visibly slumps at the realisation of 'you got folks there', before brightening and grinning privately to himself when Jack denies it. He has a rosary around his neck which he takes out on several occasions, when captured, after yelling for Jack he sobs and mumbles 'oh God please help!'

Finally, the physicality of Crutchie is on point and held until the final bows, even though he hops around occasionally, Crutchie carries himself confidently, and Duckett was so smooth in his movement. A lot of work was obviously put into Crutchie's physicality and it pays off.