Toby Mangel
Toby Mangel | |
---|---|
Neighbours character | |
Len Mangel | |
Grandmothers | Nell Mangel |
First cousins | Jane Harris |
Toby Mangel is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ben Geurens. He made his first on-screen appearance on 10 November 1988. Toby was originally played by Finn Greentree-Keane from 1988 until 1990. He departed on 3 February 1993.
Casting
From his introduction in 1988, Toby was portrayed by Finn Greentree-Keane.[1] Ben Geurens then took over the role when Greentree-Keane decided to leave in 1990.[1] Geurens had previously done a stunt on Neighbours the year before with the New Generation Stunts company and had doubled for some of the other children.[1] When the producers needed a new actor to play the part of Toby they thought Geurens would be ideal as he already had experience with the show.[1] Geurens said it was an "amazing feeling" to be cast and added "I remember walking onto the set on the first day to start work but it's hard to take everything in when you're a kid. It all seems like a bit of a blur."[1] Geurens stayed with the soap for three years, departing in 1993.[1]
Storylines
When Toby's mother,
When Joe becomes engaged to
Kerry agrees to adopt Toby and Joe agrees to adopt Kerry's daughter Sky (Miranda Fryer). Toby is even happier when Joe and Kerry announce that Kerry is pregnant. Tragedy strikes when Kerry is killed during a protest against duck hunting. Toby, although devastated at losing another mother, provides support for Joe at his lowest. When Melanie Pearson (Lucinda Cowden) moves into the Mangel house, her presence manages to brighten up the place. Shortly after Joe and Melanie become engaged, Toby misconstrues an argument and feels he is not wanted and runs away with Bouncer. Toby eventually returns home after a homeless man convinces him to do so and attends Joe and Melanie's wedding as his best man.
After Toby's grandmother,
Reception
A writer for the BBC said Toby's most notable moment was "coping with his mother and Kerry's deaths".[2] A columnist for Inside Soap called Toby "the cutest child on Ramsay Street" and said he became a favourite with viewers.[1] During his feature on Neighbours, Graeme Whitfield from The Journal stated "There was also a hero for our times in the shape of Toby Mangel, played with utter star quality by Finn Greentree-Keane from 1988 to 1990 and then, unbelievably, his even better replacement Ben Geurens from 1990 to 1993."[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Where are they now? - Ben Geurens". Inside Soap (194). Attic Futura (UK) Ltd: 71. 8–21 December 2001.
- ^ "Character: Toby Mangel". BBC. Archived from the original on 11 October 2003. Retrieved 1 April 2011.
- Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 8 July 2013.