JOHN - John is your typical nice guy/boy next door. He grew up in the area and has known (and secretly fancied) Jo for years. He’s conscientious and takes his job seriously but dreams of getting out of the east end and away from his life as a bin man. Despite his ‘nice guy’ status however he is still one of the lads.
DAVE - Dave is cocky, a bit obnoxious, always the centre of attention and very vocal about his manliness. He is John’s best mate and fellow bin man and despite his laddish behaviour you can’t help but like him. He never seems to take things seriously at work. He has had a difficult up bringing, this has made him ashamed to admit he is gay and secretly dating Pete. He is so desperate to hide his homosexuality from his peers (who he imagines would ridicule and hate him for it) that he compensates too much and ends up being very homophobic and comically masculine.
PETE - Pete is another bin man, quieter than the other two, but still joins in and is very much part of the gang. He is gay, not yet out to his friends and family and really fancies Dave. He would love to be honest and tell everyone how he feels, but thinks that these tough east enders might dislike him for it. He gets annoyed with the way Dave treats him in public and wants them to be honest about their relationship. He is a bit of a geek when it comes to environment/recycling issues.
DENNIS - Dennis is the fourth member of the gang. He thinks John and Dave are fantastic and hangs off their every word.
BOB THE BUSKER - Bob is an older guy, he’s always hanging around and has been a part of the scenery for as long as anyone can remember. He’s a talented busker/amateur philosopher and plays along 'live' with the band for many of the musical numbers. At times he acts as a kind of narrator to the audience, but is also part of the action and a character in his own right. He is Jo’s natural father (a fact of which the characters are not aware) and pays a lot of attention to her, but as far as everyone is concerned he is just Bob, someone who is always there for help and surprisingly sophisticated advice.
MAMA - Mama is a bit of a diva, she is a big character and is fiercely protective of her adoptive daughter, Jo. She owns the local hairdressing salon, which has become a local hang out, especially for the girls, who drop in and out during the day when they are not working.
JO - Jo is a typical girl next door, a bit geeky but clearly underneath the glasses/bad clothes she is a beauty (cue makeover a la classic bad teen films). She has known (and secretly fancied) John for years and (along with everyone else) believes they are destined to be together. She has no idea that she was adopted as a baby and despite the obvious physical differences between her and Mama, has never questioned her parentage.
PHILIPPA - Philippa is a classic baddie. She makes millions out of swindling unsuspecting lottery winners out of their cash windfalls. At first glance she is sassy, supremely confident and flirts incessantly with all the guys (she is everything Jo is not). John and Dave are not being totally stupid in entrusting their cash to a total stranger however, as she comes across as very intelligent, likeable and ultimately believable.
DAVINA - Davina runs the local nightclub/strip bar and employs the three girls as dancers. She is a very strong, powerful woman who has worked out a winning formula for a business in the local area.
SMOKEY, JAMILLA, MERCEDES and LIBBY-LOU - The girls all work as dancers at Davina’s club and so consequently are often hanging around during the day. They are local girls who are good friends with Jo, although they treat her as their younger (and slightly tragic) sister.
DAVE - Dave is cocky, a bit obnoxious, always the centre of attention and very vocal about his manliness. He is John’s best mate and fellow bin man and despite his laddish behaviour you can’t help but like him. He never seems to take things seriously at work. He has had a difficult up bringing, this has made him ashamed to admit he is gay and secretly dating Pete. He is so desperate to hide his homosexuality from his peers (who he imagines would ridicule and hate him for it) that he compensates too much and ends up being very homophobic and comically masculine.
PETE - Pete is another bin man, quieter than the other two, but still joins in and is very much part of the gang. He is gay, not yet out to his friends and family and really fancies Dave. He would love to be honest and tell everyone how he feels, but thinks that these tough east enders might dislike him for it. He gets annoyed with the way Dave treats him in public and wants them to be honest about their relationship. He is a bit of a geek when it comes to environment/recycling issues.
DENNIS - Dennis is the fourth member of the gang. He thinks John and Dave are fantastic and hangs off their every word.
BOB THE BUSKER - Bob is an older guy, he’s always hanging around and has been a part of the scenery for as long as anyone can remember. He’s a talented busker/amateur philosopher and plays along 'live' with the band for many of the musical numbers. At times he acts as a kind of narrator to the audience, but is also part of the action and a character in his own right. He is Jo’s natural father (a fact of which the characters are not aware) and pays a lot of attention to her, but as far as everyone is concerned he is just Bob, someone who is always there for help and surprisingly sophisticated advice.
MAMA - Mama is a bit of a diva, she is a big character and is fiercely protective of her adoptive daughter, Jo. She owns the local hairdressing salon, which has become a local hang out, especially for the girls, who drop in and out during the day when they are not working.
JO - Jo is a typical girl next door, a bit geeky but clearly underneath the glasses/bad clothes she is a beauty (cue makeover a la classic bad teen films). She has known (and secretly fancied) John for years and (along with everyone else) believes they are destined to be together. She has no idea that she was adopted as a baby and despite the obvious physical differences between her and Mama, has never questioned her parentage.
PHILIPPA - Philippa is a classic baddie. She makes millions out of swindling unsuspecting lottery winners out of their cash windfalls. At first glance she is sassy, supremely confident and flirts incessantly with all the guys (she is everything Jo is not). John and Dave are not being totally stupid in entrusting their cash to a total stranger however, as she comes across as very intelligent, likeable and ultimately believable.
DAVINA - Davina runs the local nightclub/strip bar and employs the three girls as dancers. She is a very strong, powerful woman who has worked out a winning formula for a business in the local area.
SMOKEY, JAMILLA, MERCEDES and LIBBY-LOU - The girls all work as dancers at Davina’s club and so consequently are often hanging around during the day. They are local girls who are good friends with Jo, although they treat her as their younger (and slightly tragic) sister.