There’s no doubt that lots of exciting things are happening in the United Kingdom in terms of puppetry right now. Rarely a month goes by that doesn’t have at least a few exciting shows or festivals taking place. One of the latest is The Elephantom, which has just returned for a summer run the New London Theatre in London’s West End after enjoying a sold-out run at the National Theatre last Christmas.
Staged without dialogue, The Elephantom relies entirely on movement, music and puppetry to tell the story of a little girl who is unexpectedly visited by a big blue elephant.
At first, the little girl is thrilled to have a ghost-elephant living in her house. He makes life so much more fun! But Elephantoms are a bit too big for houses and before long, he’s causing a lot of trouble…the story of one little girl and her larger-than-life friend is set to get very messy indeed!
Here’s a quick look at some highlights from the show:
The show is based on a beloved picture book by Ross Collins and the stage production has his enthusiastic support; he recently wrote about the experience of seeing his show adapted for the stage in the Guardian newspaper.
In the video below, directors Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié – both veterans of the National Theatre’s original production of War Horse – discuss the The Elephantom’s journey to the stage and how they developed its unique main character:
The Elephantom plays at the New London Theatre in London, England until September 6th. For tickets, showtimes and more information visit the National Theatre’s web site at www.nationaltheatre.org.uk.
