Originally commissioned and developed by the Bush Theatre, Elephant will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory in a reimagined new production for a limited season.
Part gig, part musical love story, part journey through Empire – Elephant is a bold exploration of identity in 21st Century Britain. It opened in the Bush Theatre’s Studio space where it became the fastest selling show in their history, before transferring to their main theatre space to sell out success. Lucas received the Best Writer Award at The Stage Debut Awards and was nominated for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
Directed by Jess Edwards, Elephant opens at the Menier on 29 May, with previews from 22 May, and runs until 28 June.
At school, Lylah couldn’t ask questions – she had to be good, good, good or else she’d lose her scholarship. At home she couldn’t ask questions; her cousins said she talked weird, and her parents were distracted. Then, a piano came through the sky and landed in Lylah’s council flat, just for her. As she poured over the keys and sound flooded into all the rooms, Lylah fell in love.
Now an adult, Lylah is swept up in the excitement of a new romance and a budding music career. But something still doesn’t feel right. In a search for answers, she turns to her piano. Where did you come from? Why are you here? The unspoken truth of their shared history spills into the light.
Following a sold-out run in the Bush Theatre, writer and performer Anoushka Lucas reunites with original director Jess Edwards.
Anoushka Lucas’ other theatre credits include Rhinoceros (Almeida Theatre), A Face in the Crowd (Young Vic), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! (Young Vic and Wyndham’s Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical), The Crucible (Sheffield Theatres), Henry V (Donmar Warehouse), After Life (National Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Chiaroscuro (Bush Theatre), and Sparks (Edinburgh Fest / Vault Festival). For film, her work includes Murder on the Orient Express and Been So Long. Her recording work includes her debut album Dark Soul; and her compositions include Sparks (BBC Radio 4 / Edinburgh Festival / Vault Festival), The Ballad of Klook and Vinette (Park Theatre / NAMT Festival NYC), and The Etienne Sisters (Theatre Royal Stratford).
Jess Edwards directs. She is a multi-award-winning director and writer, and an experienced dramaturg. Her work has appeared across London and Europe, including at Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre, Southwark Playhouse, Arcola, Theatre503, the Roundhouse, and HighTide. She has also directed extensively at the Edinburgh Festival. She won the Summerhall Lustrum Award (Passengers in 2019) and the MTR Best Musical Award (Sparks in 2018). As a writer, her first screenplay Clitorati won the Studio21 Drama Script Award and her first play, Spooky Action at a Distance was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
