Tad Reeves
Encyclopedia
Wayne Terrance "Tadpole" Reeves (nè Paul West) is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
, played by Jonathon Dutton
. He first appeared on-screen in the episode airing on 16 November 1998 and departed on 18 June 2002.
's scout troop. Upon leaving the role of Tad in 2002, Dutton stated in an interview with Inside soap that he wanted a chance to do other things after three years of playing Tad.
(Anthony Engelman) and Jarrod ("Toadfish")
(Ryan Moloney
).
(Nicola Charles
) who tells him Toadie is at the station looking for him. Tad is instantly attracted to Sarah who promptly dismisses his teenage crush. During the first few weeks, Tad causes mischief by stealing Toadie's car and ends up in court on a charge, much to the chagrin of Toadie (who ironically is studying law).
Tad's mother Coral arrives for the trial, and tells Tad off for his behaviour. Tad is issued a $100 fine and a 12 month Good Behaviour Bond. Later, He overhears Coral talking to Toadie about Tad staying for 6 months as she is busy at work and finding it difficult to cope with him. Tad runs off after an argument but is found.
Tad later enlists the help of Paul McClain
(Jansen Spencer
) in creating a website featuring doctored photos
of a scantily-clad Sarah. Sarah is upset and annoyed and first when she finds a photo on a poster board at Erinsborough Hospital where she works but she later plays Tad at his own game and takes photos of him coming out of the shower as payback.
When Toadie is unable to be a full-time guardian for Tad, he moves in with Paul and his foster parents, Harold
(Ian Smith
) and Madge Bishop
(Anne Charleston
).
Tad, Paul and Hannah Martin
(Rebecca Ritters
) begin hanging out at Harold's allotment riding their bikes. John "Teabag" Teasdale (Nathan Phillips) appears and agrees to help them make a BMX video. Tad and Paul quickly learn that Teabag is bad news and have trouble convincing Hannah. Eventually Hannah realizes the truth before leaving Erinsborough.
Tad begins working at local restaurant, Grease Monkeys but his hours cause friction with Madge and Susan.
Barry, Tad's father pays him a visit and reveals that he and Coral are separating, with the intention divorce and also tells Tad that he is adopted. Tad takes the news very hard begins misbehaving and gets drunk after drinking some alcohol he finds at the garage. Harold finds Tad passed out on the floor and calls ambulance. Tad is rushed to hospital and is diagnosed with alcohol poisoning.
After talking things over with Barry and Coral, Tad goes on a quest to track down his birth parents. Tad finds Rachel Jones but discovers she is not his birth mother, leaving him disheartened. The Adoption Agency contact Tad not long after and told him they had located his birth mother, Rachel Bailey. Tad meets Rachel and she tells him she gave him up as a baby as she and her boyfriend, Greg were only teenagers when he was born and that his birth name was Paul. When Tad asks about Greg, Rachel tells him that he died before Tad was born.
Things seem to be going well but Tad is angry when he finds out she hasn't told her husband and children about him. Tad goes to Rachel's house with the intention to reveal the truth about who he is, but meets his half brother, Tim, who answers the door. Tad opts out of his plan. Eventually, Tad makes peace with Rachel and contact is minimal
Tad displays a talent for being a DJ and Doula Tsoupanopolous (Katherine Halliday
) is impressed and offers him the chance to play a few sets at Hemisfear, a local nightclub. Tad's choice of job is met with disapproval from Harold and Madge, but he continues anyway. Tad soon realizes Doula is underpaying him and threatens to report her.
When Rachel's husband, Stephen arrives at Number 24 with news of Rachel's death during a family picnic, Tad is distraught. Stephen has more news; Tim has Leukemia and every other member of the family has been screened but no one is a suitable bone marrow match. Tad is having trouble processing the news but is willing to help his younger sibling. Tad is a match and Tim makes a full recovery after a shaky couple of weeks.
After a brief spell as a labourer for Joe Scully
(Shane Connor
), Tad returns to school and begins dating Jess Fielding (Elisha Gazdowicz). Paul and Flick Scully (Holly Valance
) find it hard to get along with Jess because of her attitude. Things get out of hand when one day Jess violently confronts principal Susan Kennedy
(Jackie Woodburne
) about a paper she received a C+ grade, Tad only manages to catch the end of the argument which looks like Susan struck Jess. Susan is suspended and Tad urges Jess to come clean about the incident. Jess admits she went to slap Susan but she blocked her, resulting in Jess falling to the floor.
Tad and Paul later fall out over Larrisa Caldwell (Leah de Niesse), a girl who Paul met while in Paris with Harold, following Madge's death from Cancer. This starts because Tad assumes Paul's identity via email.
On the Year 12 camping trip, Tad smuggles in a bottle of alcohol in order to impress Monique Disney (Jacqi Swallow). Tad is bitten by a scorpion and fearing that he is going die, he tells Flick that he's always fancied her. After Tad is airlifted to hospital and recovers, he and Flick begin dating but it quickly fizzles out when both realize they are better off as friends than lovers.
Shortly After Paul leaves to play in the AFL
for the Adelaide Crows
in December 2001, Tad begins University at Eden Hills and frequently stays out all night and sometimes does not return home, which puts Harold at unease. Tad brings home classmate Cherry Fox (Anya Trybala) and is very friendly with her. Harold makes an insinuation about Cherry which annoys Tad, who threatens to move out. When Tad realizes it is Harold and Madge's wedding anniversary, they quickly patch up their differences.
Later in 2002, Tad meets Steve McCann
and Renton Millar
and is offered the chance to DJ for an Extreme Sports Tour in America. and leaves for several months. On his return to Erinsborough with the intention to pack up and move to the States permanently, Tad is the victim of identity theft
when his passport is stolen and he has allegedly ran up thousands of dollars in debt. Tad accuses Connor O'Neill
(Patrick Harvey
), who has recently moved in with Flick and her family, but is forced to apologizes when he finds out Connor is illiterate.
One day, Tad and Connor come face to face with the impostor but he is too quick for them and escapes by kicking Connor in the groin. Tad later bumps into Doula, who is surprised to see him in town and offers him a job. Tad is hesitant but takes it. Toadie then figures out that Doula must have set Tad up.
When Tad goes to confront Doula, he discovers Richard Knott (Scottie Cameron), the man who stole his identity and chases after him again. Later that evening, Harold receives a call that Tad has been rushed to intensive care after being hit by a car. When Harold arrives at the hospital with Susan, and her son-in-law Drew Kirk
(Dan Paris
), nurse Dee Bliss (Madeleine West
) tells him Tad was in theatre and lost a lot of blood and died. Harold, devastated, identifies the body which is revealed not to be Tad, but that of Richard instead. Tad turns up at the hospital and Harold is overjoyed.
After recovering his documentation and leaving his favorite vinyl record with Harold, Tad says his goodbyes to his friends and Neighbours and Harold drives him to the airport to the soundtrack of Tuba Electrica (a collaboration between Harold and Paul on Tuba and electric guitar respectively).
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian soap opera Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
, played by Jonathon Dutton
Jonathon Dutton
Jonathon Dutton is an actor who started his career playing the role of Tad Reeves in the Australian soap opera Neighbours....
. He first appeared on-screen in the episode airing on 16 November 1998 and departed on 18 June 2002.
Casting
Dutton had previously appeared in the serial earlier in 1998 for two episodes, as Kenny Hyland, a member of Harold BishopHarold Bishop
Harold Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 January 1987. Smith was offered a role by Neighbours creator and executive producer Reg Watson...
's scout troop. Upon leaving the role of Tad in 2002, Dutton stated in an interview with Inside soap that he wanted a chance to do other things after three years of playing Tad.
Backstory
Tad was born on 23 June 1983 to teenage mother Rachel West (Carolyn Bock) and her boyfriend, Greg. He was named Paul. Shortly after his birth, Greg died and Rachel put Paul up for adoption. Barry and Coral Reeves, who already had a daughter of their own called Gemma, soon adopted baby Paul and renamed him Wayne Terrance Reeves. As Wayne grew up, he was nicknamed "Tadpole" or "Tad" for short in the style of his cousins Kevin ("Stonefish")Stonefish Rebecchi
Kevin "Stonefish" Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap Neighbours, played by Anthony Engelman. He made his first appearance on 31 March 1994. Stonefish was the first of the Rebecchi family to appear and he was later followed by his mother, father and brothers. The...
(Anthony Engelman) and Jarrod ("Toadfish")
Toadfish Rebecchi
Jarrod Vincenzo Rebecchi is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Ryan Moloney. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 8 February 1995....
(Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney
Ryan Moloney is an Australian actor best known for his portrayal of the fictional character Jarrod "Toadfish" Rebecchi in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Before Neighbours:...
).
1998–2002
Tad arrives in Erinborough to stay with his older cousin, Toadfish at Number 30 Rasmay Street. He arrives and is greeted by Toadie's housemate, Sarah BeaumontSarah Beaumont
Sarah Beaumont is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Nicola Charles. She made her first on-screen appearance on in 25 September 1996. Sarah departed on 13 July 1999...
(Nicola Charles
Nicola Charles
Nicola Charles is an actress, primarily known for her role in Australian soap opera, Neighbours.-Career:...
) who tells him Toadie is at the station looking for him. Tad is instantly attracted to Sarah who promptly dismisses his teenage crush. During the first few weeks, Tad causes mischief by stealing Toadie's car and ends up in court on a charge, much to the chagrin of Toadie (who ironically is studying law).
Tad's mother Coral arrives for the trial, and tells Tad off for his behaviour. Tad is issued a $100 fine and a 12 month Good Behaviour Bond. Later, He overhears Coral talking to Toadie about Tad staying for 6 months as she is busy at work and finding it difficult to cope with him. Tad runs off after an argument but is found.
Tad later enlists the help of Paul McClain
Paul McClain
Paul McClain is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Jansen Spencer. Paul made his first appearance on 4 November 1997. Paul departed on 11 December 2001...
(Jansen Spencer
Jansen Spencer
Jansen Spencer is an Australian actor best known for his part in the worldwide Australian Soap, Neighbours. Jansen Spencer played Paul McClain between the years of 1997 to 2001...
) in creating a website featuring doctored photos
of a scantily-clad Sarah. Sarah is upset and annoyed and first when she finds a photo on a poster board at Erinsborough Hospital where she works but she later plays Tad at his own game and takes photos of him coming out of the shower as payback.
When Toadie is unable to be a full-time guardian for Tad, he moves in with Paul and his foster parents, Harold
Harold Bishop
Harold Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Ian Smith. He made his first on-screen appearance on 30 January 1987. Smith was offered a role by Neighbours creator and executive producer Reg Watson...
(Ian Smith
Ian Smith (actor)
Ian Smith is an Australian soap opera character actor and television screenwriter, best known today for his long-running role as the caring, kindly coffee shop owner Harold Bishop in the soap opera Neighbours....
) and Madge Bishop
Madge Bishop
Margaret Mary "Madge" Bishop is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Anne Charleston. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 January 1986. Madge was one of the matriarchs of the Ramsay family. She departed in 1992, before making a return in 1996...
(Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston
Anne Charleston is an Australian actress currently based in Galway, Ireland and the UK. She is known for her roles as Madge Bishop in the Australian soap opera Neighbours and Lily Butterfield in Emmerdale.-Early career:...
).
Tad, Paul and Hannah Martin
Hannah Martin
Hannah Martin is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Rebecca Ritters. She made her first on-screen appearance on 20 July 1992. Hannah is the only child of Philip and Julie Martin and the younger sister to Michael and Debbie. The Martin family were written out...
(Rebecca Ritters
Rebecca Ritters
Rebecca Ritters is an Australian actress, mostly known for her role as Hannah Martin in the soap opera Neighbours. She first appeared in the show in 1992 when she was eight years old and remained in the show for a further seven years...
) begin hanging out at Harold's allotment riding their bikes. John "Teabag" Teasdale (Nathan Phillips) appears and agrees to help them make a BMX video. Tad and Paul quickly learn that Teabag is bad news and have trouble convincing Hannah. Eventually Hannah realizes the truth before leaving Erinsborough.
Tad begins working at local restaurant, Grease Monkeys but his hours cause friction with Madge and Susan.
Barry, Tad's father pays him a visit and reveals that he and Coral are separating, with the intention divorce and also tells Tad that he is adopted. Tad takes the news very hard begins misbehaving and gets drunk after drinking some alcohol he finds at the garage. Harold finds Tad passed out on the floor and calls ambulance. Tad is rushed to hospital and is diagnosed with alcohol poisoning.
After talking things over with Barry and Coral, Tad goes on a quest to track down his birth parents. Tad finds Rachel Jones but discovers she is not his birth mother, leaving him disheartened. The Adoption Agency contact Tad not long after and told him they had located his birth mother, Rachel Bailey. Tad meets Rachel and she tells him she gave him up as a baby as she and her boyfriend, Greg were only teenagers when he was born and that his birth name was Paul. When Tad asks about Greg, Rachel tells him that he died before Tad was born.
Things seem to be going well but Tad is angry when he finds out she hasn't told her husband and children about him. Tad goes to Rachel's house with the intention to reveal the truth about who he is, but meets his half brother, Tim, who answers the door. Tad opts out of his plan. Eventually, Tad makes peace with Rachel and contact is minimal
Tad displays a talent for being a DJ and Doula Tsoupanopolous (Katherine Halliday
Katherine Halliday
Katherine Halliday is an Australian actress. She appeared on 1993's The Heartbreak Kid and then after that she portrayed her character "Rose" on the 1990s Australian teen drama "Heartbreak High".-References:...
) is impressed and offers him the chance to play a few sets at Hemisfear, a local nightclub. Tad's choice of job is met with disapproval from Harold and Madge, but he continues anyway. Tad soon realizes Doula is underpaying him and threatens to report her.
When Rachel's husband, Stephen arrives at Number 24 with news of Rachel's death during a family picnic, Tad is distraught. Stephen has more news; Tim has Leukemia and every other member of the family has been screened but no one is a suitable bone marrow match. Tad is having trouble processing the news but is willing to help his younger sibling. Tad is a match and Tim makes a full recovery after a shaky couple of weeks.
After a brief spell as a labourer for Joe Scully
Joe Scully
Joe Scully is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Shane Connor. He made his first on-screen appearance on 20 October 1999, along with his family.-Casting:...
(Shane Connor
Shane Connor
Shane Connor is an Australian actor, who has had extensive experience in both stage and film productions.-Background:Shane Connor graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts in the early 1980s...
), Tad returns to school and begins dating Jess Fielding (Elisha Gazdowicz). Paul and Flick Scully (Holly Valance
Holly Valance
Holly Valance is an Australian actress, singer, and model, who has dual United Kingdom citizenship. Valance began her career as Felicity "Flick" Scully on the Australian soap opera Neighbours...
) find it hard to get along with Jess because of her attitude. Things get out of hand when one day Jess violently confronts principal Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy
Susan Kennedy , is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Jackie Woodburne. The character and her family were created by storyliners in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots. Susan made her first on-screen appearance on 3 October 1994 along...
(Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne
Jackie Woodburne is a Northern Irish-born Australian actress.-Personal life:Woodburne was born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Her father was a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. She has two older siblings: John and Stephen. At age three she emigrated with her family to...
) about a paper she received a C+ grade, Tad only manages to catch the end of the argument which looks like Susan struck Jess. Susan is suspended and Tad urges Jess to come clean about the incident. Jess admits she went to slap Susan but she blocked her, resulting in Jess falling to the floor.
Tad and Paul later fall out over Larrisa Caldwell (Leah de Niesse), a girl who Paul met while in Paris with Harold, following Madge's death from Cancer. This starts because Tad assumes Paul's identity via email.
On the Year 12 camping trip, Tad smuggles in a bottle of alcohol in order to impress Monique Disney (Jacqi Swallow). Tad is bitten by a scorpion and fearing that he is going die, he tells Flick that he's always fancied her. After Tad is airlifted to hospital and recovers, he and Flick begin dating but it quickly fizzles out when both realize they are better off as friends than lovers.
Shortly After Paul leaves to play in the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
for the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
in December 2001, Tad begins University at Eden Hills and frequently stays out all night and sometimes does not return home, which puts Harold at unease. Tad brings home classmate Cherry Fox (Anya Trybala) and is very friendly with her. Harold makes an insinuation about Cherry which annoys Tad, who threatens to move out. When Tad realizes it is Harold and Madge's wedding anniversary, they quickly patch up their differences.
Later in 2002, Tad meets Steve McCann
Steve McCann
Steve McCann is an Australian BMX rider. McCann turned pro at the age of 16 in 1999.McCann guest starred along fellow Aussie extreme sportman, Renton Millar in an episode of Australian soap opera Neighbours in 2002. -References:...
and Renton Millar
Renton Millar
Renton Millar is a professional vertical skateboarder from Melbourne, Australia.-Career:Renton Millar is a professional skateboarder from Melbourne, Australia, sponsored by XEN skateboards, Billabong, Mountain Dew, Globe, Oakley, TSG, Independent, Modus, Musashi and Bones Wheels.Turning pro at...
and is offered the chance to DJ for an Extreme Sports Tour in America. and leaves for several months. On his return to Erinsborough with the intention to pack up and move to the States permanently, Tad is the victim of identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
when his passport is stolen and he has allegedly ran up thousands of dollars in debt. Tad accuses Connor O'Neill
Connor O'Neill
Connor O'Neill is a fictional character from the Australian Network Ten soap opera Neighbours, played by Patrick Harvey. He made his first on-screen appearance on 19 April 2002. He is best known for his friendships with Toadie Rebecchi and Stu Parker with whom he lived at No.30, now better known as...
(Patrick Harvey
Patrick Harvey
Patrick Harvey is an Irish/Australian actor. He played Northern Irish immigrant Connor O'Neill on the television soap opera Neighbours. His first appearance on the soap was in April 2002...
), who has recently moved in with Flick and her family, but is forced to apologizes when he finds out Connor is illiterate.
One day, Tad and Connor come face to face with the impostor but he is too quick for them and escapes by kicking Connor in the groin. Tad later bumps into Doula, who is surprised to see him in town and offers him a job. Tad is hesitant but takes it. Toadie then figures out that Doula must have set Tad up.
When Tad goes to confront Doula, he discovers Richard Knott (Scottie Cameron), the man who stole his identity and chases after him again. Later that evening, Harold receives a call that Tad has been rushed to intensive care after being hit by a car. When Harold arrives at the hospital with Susan, and her son-in-law Drew Kirk
Drew Kirk
Andrew "Drew" Kirk is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Dan Paris. He made his first on-screen appearance on 27 March 1998. Drew departed on 13 September 2002...
(Dan Paris
Dan Paris
Dan Paris is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing the role of Drew Kirk in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.Paris was born in Perth, Australia and was raised in Esperance in Western Australia....
), nurse Dee Bliss (Madeleine West
Madeleine West
Madeleine West is an Australian actress known for her TV roles, having played Dee Bliss on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 2000–2003 and high-class escort Mel on Satisfaction from 2007 to 2010.-Career:...
) tells him Tad was in theatre and lost a lot of blood and died. Harold, devastated, identifies the body which is revealed not to be Tad, but that of Richard instead. Tad turns up at the hospital and Harold is overjoyed.
After recovering his documentation and leaving his favorite vinyl record with Harold, Tad says his goodbyes to his friends and Neighbours and Harold drives him to the airport to the soundtrack of Tuba Electrica (a collaboration between Harold and Paul on Tuba and electric guitar respectively).