A Thousand Blows: Is Green Dolphin Inn a Real Hotel?

Set in the 1880s, ‘A Thousand Blows’ delves into a gritty crime story centered on the Forty Elephants, a group of female thieves operating from London’s East End. It mainly revolves around the exploits of three main characters – Mary Carr, the leader of the Forty Elephants; Hezekiah Moscow, a Jamaican lion tamer; and Henry Goodson, the illegitimate boss of the East End. As the three begin crossing paths, a layered story of passion, crime, morality, and ambition comes into play, offering a rich drama brimming with emotions. However, many of these themes are captured by the unique establishments depicted throughout the season. One such prominent locale that makes an indelible mark is the Green Dolphin Hotel, owned by Mr. Lao.

The Green Dolphin is a Fictional Hotel With Vague Ties to Reality

‘A Thousand Blows’ is a mixture of fictional elements and real-life history blended together. Although a majority of the characters and events described in the series follow true-life incidents and characters, there are also parts that are embellished to provide a more dramatic angle to the entire narrative. To that end, the Green Dolphin Inn is one of those fictional additions. It is an establishment created by the show’s writers, Steven Knight, Ameir Brown, Insook Chappell, Harlan Davies, and Yasmin Joseph. The inn is the first place where Hezekiah and Alec find lodging after arriving in London from Jamaica. The establishment is owned by Mr. Lao, a man of Chinese origin, who is not based on any real person, as per the show’s historical advisor, Sarah Elizabeth Cox.

According to Cox, Lao represents the wave of migration that took place during the 1880s, especially from China to London’s East End. In the past, Chinese people had also settled in different regions within the country, including Liverpool. In the show, Lao becomes involved in Mary Carr’s upcoming plan to rob the Queen. She wishes to utilize Lao as a translator for the Chinese dignitaries who will soon arrive in London. Thus, the whole thing gets tied up in a complex political affair. However, the Green Dolphins remain a haven for Hezekiah and his friend Alec throughout the narrative. The establishment is also shown as a regular hiding spot for members of the Forty Elephants, another fictionalized element of the story that puts Hezekiah and Mary near one another.

Much of the show’s development was rooted in a desire to bring the lives of three disparate real-life people together. Knight, the show’s creator, wanted to craft a narrative where Mary, the leader of the Forty Elephants, found herself in a ploy with Hezekiah, a lion tamer who goes on to become a successful boxer. While these interactions are created from scratch, the creative team likely saw an opportunity to reflect the reality of the East End through hotspot locations like the Green Dolphin. While it may be fictional in origin, it allows for a deeper look into the migrant situation in London during the 1800s while also achieving a specific purpose in the narrative. It has small roots in reality, even though it is mostly drawn from the imagination of the writers.