Rose Ayling-Ellis and James Spence will lead the cast of the European premiere of Private Jones at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, running from 14 December 2026 to 30 January 2027.
The new musical, produced by Hugo Six in association with Thomas Hopkins Productions, will have its national press night on 17 December 2026.
Ayling-Ellis, a BAFTA-winning actor, presenter and author, stars as The Storyteller alongside James Spence as Gomer Jones.
They are joined by a company of hearing, hard-of-hearing and deaf performers including Ffion Haf, Nadeem Islam, Bronwyn James, George Karanja, Luke McCall, Lili Mohammad, Thea Munoz-Buirski, Katie Louise Prichard, Jacob Ethan Tanner and Jacob Young.
Rose Ayling-Ellis said “I’m delighted to be joining the cast of Private Jones and to work with Marshall Pailet, Misha Shields and Alexandria Wailes, alongside such a talented cast of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people. It’s a special production and I’m excited to return to the stage in London.”
Private Jones is described as a “thrillingly theatrical, completely original new musical” set during the First World War, exploring identity, belonging and friendship.
The story follows Gomer Jones, a young man grappling with hearing loss as he searches for purpose, becoming an unlikely hero while discovering what truly matters.
The production weaves together sign language, live captioning, a Foley soundscape and an original score, creating a multi-sensory theatrical experience.
Written and directed by Marshall Pailet, the creative team also includes choreography by Misha Shields, artistic sign language direction by Alexandria Wailes and music direction by Màth Roberts.
Private Jones has been in development since 2021, with earlier productions in the United States winning four Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding New Musical.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
