The Royal Shakespeare Company has today released production images of The Magician’s Elephant, a new musical by Nancy Harris (book/lyrics) and Marc Teitler (music/lyrics) based on the novel by prize-winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo.
The production, which runs until 1 January 2022, marks the official re-opening of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre – which has its 60th anniversary in 2021 – and the return of audiences to indoor performances at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time since March 2020.
The cast includes; Sharif Afifi (Milliner), Marc Antolin (Leo Matienne), Alison Arnopp (Baker), Renu Arora (Madame LaVaughn), Amy Booth-Steel (Narrator), Hannah Brown (Swing), Melissa James (Gloria Matienne), Michael Carolan (Swing), Lucca Chadwick-Patel (Fishmonger), Stephen John Davis (Doctor), Zoe Halliday (The Elephant), Sam Harrison (Count Quintet), Lauren Jones (Lisette), Forbes Masson (Police Chief), Wela Mbusi (The Elephant), Mark Meadows (Vilna Lutz), Suzanne Nixon (The Elephant), Miriam Nyarko (Adele), Alastair Parker (Magician), Wendy Somerville (Mrs Griswald) Summer Strallen (Countess Quintet), Mandi Symonds (Sister Marie), Chrystine Symone (Lamplighter) and Jack Wolfe (Peter Duchene).
The Magician’s Elephant was originally due to run from October 2020 – January 2021 but was postponed due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, which included the temporary cancellation of all RSC performances, events and other activities.
The Magician’s Elephant tells the story of orphan Peter Augustus Duchene, who lives a frugal life in the lonely town of Baltese. Then one day, a magician conjures an elephant from the sky. The animal’s appearance sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that it changes Baltese forever. Peter is catapulted into the quest of his life, overturning everything he ever thought he knew, and discovering that happiness can come from the most unexpected places.
