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Past programme

Showcases an eclectic range of fresh and interesting contemporary work, largely by emerging artistslondondance.com
Dance

We Found It With Each Other

by Ruy Zambrano
As Part of Elephantology Festival

Date
Tuesday 30 October 2018
Choreographer
Ruy Zambrano

When was the last time you felt physically vulnerable?

We Found It With Each Other is a dance work that explores ideas of community, playfulness and vulnerability. While being shrouded and accented by stunning projections, the dancers create a new world as they bounce and roll.

Come along for the joy and stay for the big-moves-dance-dance!


Family

The Witch of Elephant Park

 

Date
Friday 26 October 2018

Elephant Park has its own witch and she is very excited that it is nearly Halloween. It's time to get all her spells in order so she can work her magic. She just needs a little help finding the right ingredients....

Trick or treat with the witch, her cat and a whole host of creepy crawlies as part of Elephant Park's Halloween programme.

Blue Elephant Theatre brings a touch of spookiness and silliness to Elephant Park with this interactive family performance, suitable for ages 3+.

Please note that this performance is outside in Elephant Park. Some cover may be provided to protect against wet weather. Children (and their adults!) will be asked to join in throughout the performance to keep them moving and active as much as possible. Tickets are free but should be reserved in advance to guarantee places. Tickets can be reserved here


Dance

Alice: The Lost Chapter

by Jolene English Dance Theatre
Commissioned by Dance City

Dates
Tuesday 23 October 2018 - Wednesday 24 October 2018

Delving into the obscure mind of Lewis Carroll, this intricate and engaging dance, film and theatre performance takes the onlooker through the subconscious mind of Alice.

Who lives within her imagination: fact or fiction?

Meanwhile, The Queen reviles in Narcissism, The Hatter is engulfed with Madness shackled to Time, the White Rabbit’s anxiety is fueling agitation and The Cheshire Cat’s distorted reality offers insight to those watching on the outside.

Alice: The Lost Chapter is a dark and twisted exploration into the psychological fabric of the classic, Alice in Wonderland.

“The concept of this work is truly brilliant” Anthony Baker, Artistic Director at Dance City

Recommended for ages 14+ (or with parental supervision)


Supported by

Theatre

All Aboard with Mr Windrush!

 

Date
Saturday 20 October 2018

All Aboard! Join Sam Beaver King (one of the original passengers of the Empire Windrush who later went on to found the Notting Hill Carnival and also became the first Black Mayor of Southwark) on his journey.

Children and adults alike will be encouraged to make the boat, sounds and songs of the sea and act as crew members for the Empire Windrush. As the journey continues, traditional Afro/Caribbean and West Indian stories will be told, using drama, music and dance.

We will be telling this amazing tale at two brilliant Southwark locations:

Artworks Elephant, The Trunk (SE17 1AY) on Friday 12th October at 16.30 and 18.30 - book tickets here.

John Harvard Library (SE1 1JA) on Saturday 20th October at 11.00 and 14.00 - book tickets here.

All tickets are FREE but we recommend booking in advance as these performances are likely to fill up quickly.


Supported by

Theatre

My Brother's Drug

 

Date
Thursday 18 October 2018
Written and Directed by
Rachel Mervis
Performed by
Elysia Wilson

My mum called me the other day to let me know that they had found my little brother under a bridge....With each new high, I'm starting to think that my little bro must be running out of new lows to hit…

A hard-hitting, emotional exploration of the effects of addiction on the family, My Brother's Drug is a one woman show fusing physical theatre, rhythms and spoken word. Told from the point of view of an addict's sister, it tells the story of a cycle of stolen possessions, 999 calls and disappearances.

My Brother's Drug is produced by GreenWheel Theatre in association with HiddenViewz and presented as a work in progress performance. GreenWheel Theatre specializes in fusion theatre, combining spoken word, movement and political themes. My Brother's Drug is its first play, and it has been performed at the Edinburgh and Isle of Wight fringe festivals. HiddenViewz is a BAME lead production company, which explores political and social issues through theatre and film. They explore harsh realities that are often overlooked in society in an imaginative way through physical, immersive and satirical theatre.

"This show is a must see. Through the art of spoken word, dance and performance, you’re drawn into the life of a concerned sister." Ventnor Town, Fringe Review by Caty Macaulay

"It shows a lot of understanding about the nightmare world of drug addiction, and the emotions felt by the sister come across well." Edinburgh Fringe, Chris Neville-Smith’s Blog on Theatre


Theatre

A Little Bit of Life (CANCELLED)

by Glitter Theatrical

Date
Tuesday 9 October 2018

Due to unforeseen circumstances, A Little Bit of Life will no longer go ahead on October 9th

A Little Bit of Life is a fun musical for anyone touched by nostalgia for 1980s pop culture, whether you experienced it the first time round or not. It will premiere in December and will include some of the biggest hits from the 1980s.

In the meantime, join us for a sneak preview of A Little Bit of Life as Glitter Theatrical present a concert featuring a selection of songs from the show. Come listen to your favourite 80s tunes and get a sense of what a fabulous show A Little Bit of Life will be!


Theatre

It's My Move

Date
Monday 8 October 2018

Join Warren, Finley, Melody and Ade as they move into the big wide world.

It’s My Move is about the transition from school to adult life. The 90 mins play is suitable for Learning disabled young people from 14 – 21 years. The piece is based on the ‘Forum Theatre’ style, where the audience explore how to make positive outcomes through changing the actions of the characters. It explores the issues for a group of young people with learning disabilities, and includes multiple communication tools including music, movement, poetry, makaton and film.

Face Front creates theatre that pioneers social change for an inclusive world. We use the transformational power of theatre to improve emotional well-being and address social injustice.
Face Front is led by disabled and non-disabled arts practitioners who make multi-layered theatre that is accessible to all.

'The show was truly amazing. It was inspiring both as an outstanding example of how theatre can make a complex and challenging scenario accessible and empowering to people who have learning difficulties and as a powerful illustration of what people who have learning difficulties can achieve when they have opportunities to work in the performing arts.’
Sally Pavey, Teacher, The Bridge School


Written by:
Julie McNamara & Face Front Inclusive Theatre

Supported by

Theatre

Windrush Square

by Monument Theatre Company

Dates
Wednesday 3 October 2018 - Friday 5 October 2018

Get Up, Stand Up, Stand Up for your right

In 1980s Brixton, the community have had enough. It’s time to rise up and pursue equality in the eyes of the law.

Join the Johnsons in the heart of Brixton as an essential part of British history is unearthed and retold through the victories and tragedies of one family.

Both moving and infectiously exuberant, Windrush Square is the Monument Theatre Company’s first production. Recent Physical Theatre graduates from Drama St Mary’s in Twickenham, they developed Windrush Square to illuminate recent history and create theatre which unites all people in a bid to eradicate the barrier between races.

Please note: Friday Night is now sold out. Please call 02077010100 to be added to the waiting list.


Family

Sally the Sassy Seed - Storytelling at Elephant Park

 

Date
Wednesday 1 August 2018

Join Blue Elephant Theatre for interactive storytelling at Elephant Park!

Inspired by nature and aimed especially at early years, the Blue Elephant storytellers bring the tale of Sally the Sassy Seed to life! A treat for local families.

Tickets are FREE, and can be booked here. Booking in advance is advised but not essential.

Performances on the first Wednesday of every month:
Wednesday 6th June at 11.00
Wednesday 4th July at 11.00
Wednesday 1st August at 11.00

Please note these performance are in Elephant Park only, and NOT at Blue Elephant Theatre.


Theatre

Trojan Horse

by LUNG in association with Leeds Playhouse

Dates
Thursday 26 July 2018 - Friday 27 July 2018

Why should I continue to be tolerant? When the world has been so intolerant of me.

A new documentary play by LUNG (E15, The 56 and Chilcot), Trojan Horse follows the real life stories of Muslim teachers and governors who were accused of plotting extremism in Birmingham schools.

Founded in Barnsley in 2012, LUNG are a verbatim / documentary theatre company who make work with communities, for communities and about communities. LUNG create work that shines a light on political, social and economic issues in modern Britain using people’s actual words to tell their stories. The company is led by Matt Woodhead (winner of Director’s Guild Best Newcomer 2015) and Helen Monks (Upstart Crow, Raised By Wolves). LUNG’s work is published by Oberon Books. Previous shows include: The 56, E15, Chilcot.

Both performances have now sold out - please call the Box Office directly on 020 7701 0100 to add your details to the waiting list


Supported by

  • Arts Council England
Dance

An Evening, A Beginning

Dates
Thursday 19 July 2018 - Saturday 21 July 2018

KAMIENSKI. presents a new double bill entitled An Evening, A Beginning, premiering two new works.

Exploring two aspects of creation – emotional and analytical - the evening delivers pleasure for the eye, and challenges for the mind. Witness the beginning as we take you on a journey, starting in a bedroom and going all the way to the M00n.

BED - inspired in theme by Tracey Emin's work My Bed, the choreography explores the partnership, connection and intimacy between two people. Exposing what we like to keep private, we invite you to have a peak.

X is M00n - abstract and physical, X is M00n focuses on the connections of physics and outer space. From M10n the anxiety grows, as we inevitably head towards the zero - M00n.

KAMIENSKI. is a contemporary dance company led by Andre Kamienski. We combine the forms of performing and visual arts to create contemporary works – daring, challenging and unpredictable. We manipulate the body through the search of unexpected connections and unheard stories.

Please not X is M00n contaisn strobe lighting effects.


Theatre

The Dame

 

Date
Thursday 12 July 2018

The curtains fall on another show and a seasoned pantomime dame is alone in his dressing room, unaware he is preparing for his own performance of a lifetime. Ronald Roy Humphrey has returned to the northern seaside town where he grew up for the Christmas season, and finds himself bitterly confronted with why he left all those years before.

As he starts to excavate his past, he steps back into history; bringing to life the ghosts who once paraded and performed along the piers and promenades, removing the layers one by one until he arrives at a tragic truth he had spent his whole life trying to forget.

A lost world of seaside entertainment, old time music hall and pantomime are brought to life in this one-man show where the past and present collide, magical realism meets bleak reality, and however many masks we wear, the truth will always be revealed.

The Dame is a father and daughter collaboration, a one man show starring Peter Duncan, written by his daughter Katie Duncan.

Originally inspired by their family history of seaside summer entertainment and pantomime, which Peter grew up surrounded by, it gradually evolved into a fictional, dark drama set amid the nostalgic backdrop of this golden, forgotten era.

Peter Duncan is an actor and presenter, probably best known for presenting Blue Peter in the 1980s. Ian Talbot directs, and is best known for his role as Artistic Director of The Open Air Theatre, Regents Park for 20 years.

'It's a heartbreaking story, beautifully written and powerfully played' Edinburgh Evening News


Reviews

***** 'Peter Duncan gives a stunning performance'

London Theatre 1

Cast
Peter Duncan
Theatre

Where the Hell is Bernard?

 

Date
Tuesday 10 July 2018

Set in an office high above the city in a strange imagined future, Where the Hell is Bernard? sees four women hard at work. Their sole job is to anonymously return lost items. Everything runs like clockwork under a strict regime, until one day a box of returned objects mysteriously bounces back, leading to a mission that could change the future of humanity.
Mixing magical visuals, movement, live song and clown, award winning Haste Theatre create a darkly comic warning for the future.

Previous Praise of Haste Theatre:

"Haste Theatre’s earnest production brims with boundless creative energy and a clear vision that makes...a thoroughly delightful piece suitable for all ages, impressing with their keen sense of the theatrical and set in a timeless world.” Bakchormeeboy

"Haste are a company who don’t act without thinking, and the results are clear in the theatre that they produce." Culturised


Cast
Haste Theatre, Paul Freeman: Sound Designer, Katrin Padel: Lighting Designer, Ally Cologna: Associate Director, Georgia De Grey: Set Designer, Olivia Gray: Songwriter.
Theatre

Boxman

by Flugelman Productions

Dates
Wednesday 4 July 2018 - Friday 6 July 2018
Post-show Panel
July 4th

There are more than 60 million displaced people on our planet... people who have no home

Ringo is one of them. He is a survivor, a child soldier displaced from his homeland, sheltering in a cardboard box in an inner city park. He lives in plain sight but is invisible to the city around him. But inside his makeshift ‘home’, Ringo lives a life rich with stories and songs of a childhood far away, a family tragically lost and the complicated promise of a new beginning.

There will be a short post-show Q&A on July 4th with a panel including representatives from Refugee Action, as well as Director Edwina Strobl and Performer Reice Weathers.

Started by sisters, Edwina and Victoria, Flugelman Productions brings together writers, performers, musicians and dancers from all over the world, inspired to tell great stories. They believe that theatre can save the world. Too grand a statement? At the very least, it can make all our lives better by helping us understand a little more of what it means to be human.


Reviews

★★★★★ "This is my pick of the Fringe by a country mile. If I could give it six stars, I would."

Broadway Baby at Brighton Fringe, 2018

★★★★ "Urgent, likeable, sad, powerful, but also original."

The Spy in the Stalls

Writer:
Daniel Keene
Performer:
Reice Weathers
Director:
Edwina Strobl
Theatre

The Croydon Avengers

presented by Maya Productions in association with LittleMighty

Dates
Friday 29 June 2018 - Sunday 1 July 2018

Regina Rump is on the rampage! A trio of masked vigilantes send Croydon’s crime rate plummeting. They’ve run away from their war-torn homes and are just trying to help.

But Regina’s not happy. She orders her media empire to unmask the Avengers and get them off the streets. Are they terrorists? Criminals? Either way, she thinks they’re a threat to British identity.

Then a freak accident at the Gatwick deportation centre gives the trio powers beyond their wildest dreams. Can three teenage refugees really become the saviours of a doomed nation?

The Croydon Avengers blends comic book visuals with action-packed martial arts to tell a funny, powerful story of terrorist threats, heroism and true friendship in an England that seems frightened of anyone who’s different.

Led by Suzanne Gorman, Maya Productions creates diverse theatre to create change: socially, politically and culturally. Their vision is a world where people of all ages, abilities, culture and classes have the opportunity to experience world class theatre.

Aimed at young people aged 8-14 and their families.

Please be aware the performance on Friday 29th June is now fully booked.

The Croydon Avengers is a co-production with Ovalhouse and Harrogate Theatre and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, Croydon Council, Teale Charitable Trust and The Newcomen Collett Foundation.

The Croydon Avengers @ Blue Elephant Theatre from Maya Productions on Vimeo.


Written by
Oladipo Agboluaje