Bilge Rat

"Mutiny on the Bounty meets Pirates of the Caribbean with an Oliver Twist" 

- Hollywood Reporter

William Eden and brother Toby are two helpless orphans in early 1700 London. Taken in by an aged clerical uncle, the boys are assigned specific maintenance duties in the cavernous Saint Agnes of Agony Basilica. William discovers that he has a natural talent that enables him to duplicate all manner of sounds and voices. From that point on, he decides to keep his fabulous talent secret and changes his name to Echo thereby hiding this special talent in plain sight. 

At night, the boy's assignment is to venture down into the creepy bowels of the church to eradicate the pesky rodent population. Charged with a daily bounty of rat tails or be penalized their one daily meal, Echo devises a variety of methods to reach their rattail goal.  

Their nightly excursions also take them to the London docks where they are discovered and befriended by a kindhearted cook named Handy. The boys join Handy for a voyage to the New World. Beginning as a cook's assistant, Echo learns the vital art of navigation and survival aboard ship. Haunted and persecuted by the vessel's bullying First Mate, Echo must devise all manner of tricks and gambits to simply remain amongst the living.