Susie McKenna directs a cast of actor-musicians: Kate Adams (Flo), Rebecca Bainbridge (Ada), Susannah van den Berg (Chair), Rosalind Ford (Nora), Liz Kitchen (Annie), Natasha Lewis (Violet), Sinead Long (Mary), Kate Marlais (Maggie), Christina Tedders (Nellie) and Sarah J Warren (Minnie).
The narrative follows Mary’s arrival in London and her introduction to gang life. How will she make her life expectancy of twenty-five when the two gangs are after owning her? Mary wants to be a Music Hall star. Nellie of The Elephants falls in love with Mary and they try to escape from thievery to the bright lights of Piccadilly. Are the gangs going to allow that to play out?
This is a story of how important your wits are to survive if you are a poor woman in Victorian London. How you play the fame game set against a backdrop of a West End pickpocket turf war and an enormous divide between the rich and poor. “Same ol gravy, different flavour.”
Oranges and Elephants runs from Tuesday 23rd January until Saturday 10th February.
