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Past programme

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

Attempts On Her Life

by Martin Crimp
presented by Eight Square Theatre

Dates
Tuesday 21 March 2023 - Wednesday 22 March 2023

Anne has lived a hundred lives.
She is a movie star, a refugee, a femme fatale, the girl next door, she is nothing and everything all at once.

Attempts on Her Life is a story of womanhood, the beauty of it and the threats to it. We see Anne through the various versions of her existence; a Hollywood actress, refugee, porn star, religious figure, the girl next door. All the things that Anne can be, under the thumb of impossible expectations. We follow her through the highlights and heartbreaks of her life, with the greatest tragedy of all being that Anne is in every one of us. The play consists of 17 scenarios where a range of nameless characters attempt to define who Anne really is.


About Eight Square Theatre


Eight Square Theatre was established at the end of 2021, first creating a Christmas-themed TIE piece which toured in primary schools, sharing the importance of looking after our environment. They are a group of 8 actors who are currently training at the Miskin Theatre and are looking to create a variety of work.

Follow Eight Square Theatre on socials: @8SquareTheatre

Content warnings: flashing lights, explicit language, sexual content


Written by
Martin Crimp
Directed by
Claire Portelli
Performed by
Zac Eccleston, Matt Sanders, Layla Bo Giles, Isobel Graham, Stevie Wareham, Chloe Omelia, Grace Filmer and Mia Kennerson
Theatre

Bamboozled

Created by PipeItUp Theatre Company

Date
Tuesday 14 March 2023

The game is simple... you won’t know it until you’re in it.

Welcome to Bamboozled. We don’t know what’s going on, and neither do you.


About PipeItUp Theatre Company

PipeItUp members come from different theatrical backgrounds, and share interests of abstract storytelling through physical theatre and multimedia. Their process relies on ‘tentacular’ improvisation observed through their lens, taking inspiration from ‘Viewpoints’ theory and taking stylistic cues from Japanese ‘Butoh’ and the European ‘OBRA’ theatre company. They make honest work that incorporates the body in an authentic way.

Follow PipeItUp on Instagram: @pipeitupcompany


Producer / cast
Emily Glazebrook
Cast
Connor Brown
Cast
Tom Secker
Cast
Cameron McColm
Cast
Ben Davis
Cast
Albie Barnardo
Producer
Aaron Rozanski
Theatre

ERECT - 42 minutes plus shipping

presented by Wafer Thin Theatre

Dates
Friday 10 March 2023 - Saturday 11 March 2023

Two young men make their first steps into the world of manual labour, and begin to face the demons it brings out in them.

ERECT is about friendship and hardship. Using song and dance to show what can't be said, and beer and sarcasm to say it another way, it highlights the pitfalls of putting on brave face for too long.

Devised by new company Wafer-Thin Theatre, ERECT focuses on masculinity, particularly male insecurities, and their ability to disrupt communication. It is a calling to the wonderful personalities within that get wrapped and packaged, stapled up and shipped away by a society unwilling to hear them.


About Wafer-Thin Theatre


Wafer-Thin Theatre is an emerging company run by Ty Nicholls and George Wait. They focus on devising original theatre, drawing from the techniques of a variety of European theatre practitioners and implementing elements of both naturalism and surrealism. Their work thus far has had a particular focus on men’s mental health, with a vision to uplift and inspire young men.


Sound design
Jack Wait / Quarry Studios
Stage Management
Jack Elston
Voiceover
Ishbel McMurtrie
Deviser / performer
Ty Nicholls
Deviser / performer
George Wait
Photographer
Michael O'Reilly
Theatre

Led By The Wind

by Ensemble Not Found

Date
Wednesday 1 March 2023

At what moment do you want to fly?
At what moment are you willing to give up the desire to fly?

Led By The Wind is a devised work-in progress that will embark from these questions. A rhapsody breaching boundaries between the memory and the imagined, the personal and the world, documentary and fiction through a blend of live music, moving images and performance.


About Ensemble Not Found

Not been said, not been shown, not been found.

Initially inspired by the infamous HTTP error message, Ensemble Not Found is a newly created theatre collective looking to provoke discussion through new forms of performance and collaborative theatre-making. We are currently run by a group of East Asian theatre artists who are looking to collaborate with artists of all cultures and disciplines.


Theatre

Elephantology Festival

 

Dates
Wednesday 22 February 2023 - Saturday 25 February 2023

Elephantology is Blue Elephant Theatre’s Festival for recent graduates and those who are just entering the performing arts industry.
Starting off with an evening of solo performances showcasing 8 talented graduates, we will present three double bills of brand-new début shows.

SCHEDULE:

Wednesday 22 February, 7:30pm - Solo Performance Showcase

Thursday 23 February, 7pm - Violent Circumstances
Thursday 23 February, 8:30pm - Hummingbird (SOLD OUT)

Friday 24 February, 5pm - Hummingbird (SOLD OUT)
Friday 24 February, 7pm - Tiny Babies
Friday 24 February, 8:30pm - Violent Circumstances (SOLD OUT)

Saturday 25 February, 7pm - Hummingbird (SOLD OUT)
Saturday 25 February, 8:30pm - Tiny Babies

SOLO PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE

Come along to Elephantology Festival's opening event and discover the fresh talent of tomorrow!

We've invited nine recent graduates to showcase 10 minutes of work in progress of any genre, including monologues, comedy, dance, and spoken word. The artists in our line-up represent Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Trinity Laban, The Free Association, University of Chichester and more!


Line-up


• Axel Kengne - monologue
• Crystal Turner-Brightman - monologue
• Sammy Trotman - comedy monologue
• Mandy Tan & Malachi Briant - dance duet
• Jodie Stone - movement
• Ada Cotton - duologue
• Genevieve Labuschagne - monologue
More TBA




VIOLENT CIRCUMSTANCES

by Susannah Cann and Molly O'Donnell

Thursday 23 February, 7pm
Friday 24 February, 8:30pm

Written in response to the murders of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa, Violent Circumstances explores five young women's stories of everyday events that quickly turn into exhausting, humiliating and terrifying and fatal experiences.

This unfiltered, angry and darkly comic piece exposes the unknown and ignored experiences of women's everyday struggles with harassment, sexism and violence.


Creative team

Written and directed by Susannah Cann and Molly O’Donnell
Performed by Catherine Thomas, Phoebe Shepherd, Susannah Cann, Annabel Lisk
Movement Director: Annabel Lisk


About Active B!tch Face Theatre

Active B!tch Face Theatre is a new female-led company founded by Rose Bruford graduates Susannah Cann and Molly O’Donnell. Their main idea and drive is to create theatre with women's lives and issues at the centre of the work, whilst also having women sitting in the big decision-making roles in the creative team.




HUMMINGBIRD

by Ilayda McIntosh

Thursday 23 February, 8:30pm (SOLD OUT)
Friday 24 February, 5pm
Saturday 25 February, 7pm (SOLD OUT)

“Belonging? Simply a longing to be… right? Just be.”

Ella dreams of homecoming, Lloyd yearns for his beloved and their children confront their vulnerabilities.

When Ella’s world is torn apart by the Home Office’s ‘hostile environment’ policy, her loved and lost ones attempt to piece it back together.

Hummingbird is a thought-provoking and poignant new play, exploring the ways in which belonging is found in unfamiliar homes. Hummingbird touches on the complexity of British identity and the way migrant communities find a place within them.

Written by Ilayda McIntosh, associate artist at Nouveau Riche and participant of TALAWA’s debut writers group, Hummingbird challenges and blends theatrical form through dub-poetry, music and poetic verse. Based on real-lived experiences.




TINY BABIES

by Sally MacAlister

Friday 24 February, 7pm
Saturday 25 February, 8:30pm

"I’m going to chew my food before I swallow. I’m going to drink a glass of water in between every single glass of wine. And I’m going to let you tell him."

Rona and Sophie are twins. They are one organ. They share a brain. But there are certain things they don’t see eye to eye on.
Rona wants to fight. Sophie wants to forget.

When Sophie’s partner comes to dinner, Rona needs to make a call: allow her sister the life she’s always wanted, or unearth a family secret, long-hidden before the two were even whispers of people.

Tiny Babies is a raw and unflinching dark comedy, exploring inherited trauma in bodies that weren’t there, but still feel it.





Supported by

  • Austin & Hope Pilkington Trust
Theatre

The Interview

by Slime & Pies_

Dates
Friday 17 February 2023 - Saturday 18 February 2023

“I think when it comes down to it Daniel, we’re probably looking for the same thing.”
“Peace.”

An interview is being held. Dan has volunteered. The interviewer must be impartial.

As the process progresses, both Dan and The Interviewer realise that understanding why we do what we do, and how our brains have been influenced by the world around us, is no easy task.

The Interview is an absurdist two-hander that explores the insidious nature of sexual assault in our society. Join new company Slime & Pies for this work-in-progress by debut Playwright Eleanor Roberts.


About the artists

The Interview is the London debut of new theatre company Slime & Pies_. Formed in 2022, Slime & Pies_ have recently worked at The Traverse, Edinburgh on an R&D of Kill the Second Coming with Slime & Pies by Ellen Bannerman.


Written by
Eleanor Roberts
Directed by
Maddy Corner
Dance

Grown Men Keep Breaking My Heart

Choreographed and performed by Kennedy Junior Muntanga and Joey Barton

Dates
Wednesday 25 January 2023 - Saturday 28 January 2023

Grown Men Keep Breaking My Heart is a short dance theatre piece that tells the story of two best friends who, after losing contact with one another as teenagers, choose to rekindle their relationship over an evening of partying and drinking. This meetup leads to an eventful evening of revisiting pivotal moments in their lives that shaped them into who they are, and within that shaped the actions and thoughts towards one another and the world.

The piece explores themes of youth, relationships, mental health, and social politics. It comments on the current climate young men grow up in without real leadership, and offers another perspective that is both meaningful and intimate, as well as a much needed platform for young men to access in order to heal, learn and progress.

Grown Men Keep Breaking My Heart mixes a range of styles the artists have trained in, such as Hip Hop, commercial, Kathak, and explores them under the umbrella of contemporary dance.


Supported by

  • Frances Prenn, Alexis Prenn, David Cazalet, Lucia Fortune-Ely, Rambert School, Corey Baker Dance
Theatre

A Guest

by Aaron Kilercioglu
Directed by Darren Sinnott

Date
Friday 20 January 2023

Work in progress presented as part of Blue Elephant's residency programme.

A Guest follows a married couple who really are good people. They’re vegan, they’ve adopted, they care about others. Really. So when she brings a stranger to live in their house while he was away on his Yoga retreat, it shouldn’t come as a shock. They are good people after all. But, really, who is she? In this family nothing is as it seems.

A Guest is a riveting new play by Aaron Kilercioglu (For A Palestinian) about hospitality, the nuclear family, and our very British class anxiety.


About the writer

Aaron’s debut sell-out play For A Palestinian (published by Methuen Drama) debuted at Camden People’s Theatre and Bristol Old Vic. He is currently on commission writing plays for Boundless Theatre and Elleanor Lloyd Productions. His previous work has won the BOLD Playwrights Prize and the Methuen Drama ‘Other’ Prize, and has been shortlisted for the Theatre503 Int. Playwriting Prize.

Praise for A Palestinian (2022):
★★★★★ (Everything Theatre)
★★★★★ (Pocket Size Theatre)
★★★★★ (The Reviews Hub)
★★★★★ (West End Evenings)
★★★★★ (RachelReviewed)
★★★★ (WhatsOnStage)


Writer
Aaron Kilercioglu
Director
Darren Sinnott
Set & Costume Designer
Ellie Wintour
Sound Designer
Riwa Saab
LX Designer
Ros Chase
Family

A Topsy Turvy Christmas

 

Dates
Friday 9 December 2022 - Tuesday 20 December 2022

Christmas is a little bit different this year.

Blue Elephant Theatre are back again with another festive family treat!

Combining side splitting comedy, audience interaction and a heartwarming message, A Topsy Turvy Christmas is set to delight audiences this December.

Christmas is Robin’s favourite time of year. But this year, everything is different. Her dad isn’t living with them anymore, and although she sees him a lot, it isn’t the same. Despite her efforts to make everything perfect and to feel normal again, nothing seems to be going right.

It only gets more peculiar when she is transported into one of her presents!

Inside her beautiful snow globe, the world is topsy turvy, her best friend is a Christmas tree, and Santa is very unusual indeed. Robin embarks on an adventure to help put things right, but discovers that change is all part of the journey.

A story about navigating change, listening to ourselves and finding Christmas magic, wherever you go.

Suitable for all the family but aimed at ages 4-8 years.
Running time: 45 min.
All performances are relaxed. For more info about access, please message info@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk

Dates:

• Fri 9 Dec, 4:30pm
Sat 10 Dec, 2pm SOLD OUT
Sat 10 Dec, 4:30pm SOLD OUT
Sun 11 Dec, 2pm SOLD OUT
Sun 11 Dec, 4:30pm SOLD OUT

JUST ADDED Sat 17 Dec, 11am
Sat 17 Dec, 2pm SOLD OUT
Sat 17 Dec, 4:30pm SOLD OUT
JUST ADDED Sun 18 Dec, 11am
Sun 18 Dec, 2pm SOLD OUT
Sun 18 Dec, 4:30pm SOLD OUT
JUST ADDED Tue 20 Dec, 11am
JUST ADDED Tue 20 Dec, 2pm

A Topsy Turvy Christmas is generously supported by Unity Theatre Trust and Royal Victoria Hall Foundation.


Supported by

  • Unity Theatre Trust
  • Royal Victoria Hall Foundation
Theatre

existentialism. (work in progress)

created by Iona Kirk
in association with Ellandar

Date
Friday 18 November 2022

A new work about loneliness, isolation, and self-worth defined by early childhood relationships with music.

Tickets are Pay What You Choose.

About Iona Kirk

Iona is a neurodivergent dancer-actor, choreographer, and early career theatre maker. Iona is an alumna of London Studio Centre. She conceived & choreographed her debut work ‘(un)written • (un)heard’ with 45North and Ellandar Productions in 2019 which was presented at Fringe World Perth 2020 winning the International Dance & Physical Theatre Award. Iona has worked as a dancer with English National Opera 2018/19 and is supported in residency by Space Clarence Mews.

She is part of Ellandar's digital project ‘Yoga For The Feet’ a digital theatre work prioritising access & collaborating with neurodivergent artists originally presented at Liberty Festival 2022. Her current work-in-progress harmony. 天人合一 was a commission from Certain Blacks and is being presented as a work-in-progress at The Pleasance Futures Festival 2022.


Comedy

ELEFUNNY COMEDY NIGHT

 

Date
Friday 11 November 2022

A terrific line-up of up-and-coming comedians is taking over Blue Elephant - grab a drink and witness some of the most exciting acts the UK comedy circuit has to offer!

Including:
CHIN WANG
DAVINA BENTLEY
VIGGO VENN
AHMED IBRAHIM
LESLIE GOLD
MACLARRY
Compered by FITZGERALD HONGER

CHIN WANG

Having grown up in China and now living in the UK, Chin Wang is an up-coming stand-up comedian in the UK comedy scene. Chin’s infinitely likable stage persona and belting gags have seen her ripping up live gigs from London to Glasgow as well as radio shows in Scotland and virtual shows streamed to Shanghai. Funny, charming, and hilariously honest, Chin is fast becoming one of the most exciting new acts to see.

DAVINA BENTLEY

Comedian Davina Bentley is a Jewish London raised comic, inspired by high status US comics such as Michelle Wolf and Ali Wong, who tackle subjects previously deemed off limits. Since starting writing and performing stand-up comedy six years ago, Davina has reached the finals of numerous competitions and performs regularly in comedy clubs including Top Secret, Vauxhall and Fulham.
As a lawyer who does not suffer fools gladly, Davina examines the absurdity of modern life and pop culture - her cynical outlook is perfectly contrasted with her energetic and smile-filled performances.
As well as performing stand-up up comedy, Davina posts sketches regularly on TikTok and Instagram, parodying the hard-hitting political TV dramas Made In Chelsea and Emily in Paris. her current TikTok record stands at 600k views for her depiction of ‘“Bohemian” Islington Dad.’

VIGGO VENN

Viggo Venn is a Clown, Comedian and Norwegian! Norway is very very boring… Luckily Viggo is not, and he relocated to London and recently won the “NATYS - New Act of The Year”. His solo show “Viggo Venn: Club Comedian” sold out its Edinburgh Fringe run.

AHMED IBRAHIM

King Kong winner 2021. Another of South London’s brightest lights, Ahmed has appeared at Up the Creek and many other top comedy clubs. His natural, relaxed style is charming and endearing.

LESLIE GOLD

New Jersey native Leslie Gold speaks truth to power - and to anyone who will listen. With no patience for idiocy, Leslie is endearingly funny and confident enough to get away with it.
West End New Act of the Year One to Watch 2022
So You Think You’re Funny Semi-Finalist 2021

MACLARRY

Maclarry is a South African comedian raised by the world on a mission to bring laughter to all. Join him on his journey of funny as he crafts hilarious tales in his warm, natural style including navigating life in London, fatherhood and adulting in general.

FITZGERALD HONGER - COMPERE

A regular on the London comedy circuit, Fitzgerald Honger is a dynamic comedian who has performed in top comedy clubs across London and the UK including Up the Creek and the comedy store. When not doing comedy, Fitz is a producer. He’s worked for international companies spanning PR and broadcast television including MTV and Discovery, and has developed a wealth of contacts within the TV and entertainment industries.


Dance

2023

Created by Noa Genazzano

Dates
Friday 4 November 2022 - Saturday 5 November 2022

2023 is a response to the climate crisis and the growing need for change in the world we’re living in.

A change of awareness in how we relate to our earth is needed urgently. Although we are facing unprecedented challenges as a collective with our planet, there is still time to shift the direction.

With original music by world-renowned composers, James Keane (Hofesh Shechter, Theo Clinkard, Joss Arnott) and Joe Scott (Lauryn Hill, Peter Gabriel, Blackstreet), 2023 takes the audience on a sensory adventure inviting us to reflect on our own relationship to the earth and allowing us a glimpse into the world we can create when we reconnect with our planet.

________

About Noa Genazzano / Universe In Motion

Born in Barcelona, Noa Genazzano was raised in NYC. She graduated from The Ailey School where she performed alongside Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. After relocating to London she worked with esteemed choreographers Maxine Doyle, Vinicius Salles, and Humanhood, among others.
In 2018 she founded Universe in Motion to inspire personal and global shifts in awareness through movement, meditation, and performance art. Her work, U Are The Universe, premiered at Triskelion Arts in NYC.

Follow Noa on Instagram: @universeinmotion
Check out Noa's website: www.noagenazzano.com


Reviews

“Noa Genazzano’s performance and choreography is undeniably exciting. She, and the dancers, impressed us all with interesting, engaging, at times playful, and always mature, dance... She is a fresh, young talent and her art ought to be fostered”

Britton Fisher, Board Member The Joyce Theatre, New York City

"Noa’s artistic voice and vision is something special because of her fearless yet gentle movement to describe the most intimate and overwhelming story: Self-Realization. Her motivation to be a way-shower of her generation is outstanding. From the mundane illusion of what life appears to be, Noa takes you on a ride of self discovery to the beautiful moment where you realize you are a part of everything.”

Danica Paulos, Company Member Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Choreographer & Dancer
Noa Genazzano
Composers
James Keane & Joe Scott
Family

Forgotten Voices

 

Date
Thursday 27 October 2022


Join us at Blue Elephant for a compelling hour of storytelling celebrating Black History Month during half-term week!
Running time: 30 min performance + 30 min drama workshop

"If I put my mind to it, I can do it!"

Esther enjoys helping out on her parents' farm in Jamaica, but her biggest dream is to become a nurse. When England calls for people to come work there, she seizes the opportunity and sets sail for the "motherland" to make her dream come true!

Forgotten Voices is a storytelling show for ages 7-11 about the human side of Windrush, and pursuing one's dreams in an unfamiliar land.
The show will be followed by a 25-30 min workshop with the children.

This project is made possible by Southwark Council's Black History Month fund.

Written by Jacqui Livingston
Performed by Tatenda Matsvai and Nikki Acquah


Supported by

  • Southwark Council
Theatre

Arrogant Soft

Written by Alphonso Brown

Dates
Thursday 20 October 2022 - Saturday 22 October 2022

Sometimes, your partner says something and you let it slide. Not this time.

Date night has finished, John, Lola and their friends have talked relentlessly, drunk merrily and sung appallingly, well into the early hours of the morning. But after a Freudian slip, it becomes clear that there is more to discuss.

How much individualism is too much in a relationship? Are there some things that you keep from your partner? Do they have a right to know about all your decisions?

Written by Alphonso Brown, Arrogant Soft is a compelling new piece that looks into the joy, despondency and complexities that only a relationship can bring out.

Arrogant Soft is a work-in-progress presented as part Blue Elephant's Autumn residencies.

About the writer

Alphonso Brown is an actor, writer, model and workshop facilitator, proudly hailing from Croydon. After completing his University degree at the Plymouth Conservatoire, he returned to London where he has gone from strength to strength in each of his creative disciplines from touring as the lead role in Shakespeare's 'Othello', leading Drama workshops across the U.K. , modelling with Nike... writing is just the latest string to his ever-growing bow.


Theatre

Found In Translation

 

Date
Monday 17 October 2022

The first showcase from CREANDO ESCENARIOS, our adult Spanish-language drama group!

For 10 weeks, participants of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds have gathered at Blue Elephant Theatre to experiment, play and create theatre together (some of them for the first time!). Come laugh, cry and ponder at their brand-new theatrical creations...

Please note the scenes presented will be in Spanish.

This showcase is made possible by Southwark Council's Public Health Grant.
____________

¡La primera presentación de nuestro grupo de teatro para adultos hispanohablantes!

Por 10 semanas, participantes de todas las edades, nacionalidades y procedencias se han reunido en el Blue Elephant Theatre para experimentar, jugar y crear teatro juntos (¡algunos por primera vez!). Ven a reír, llorar y reflexionar sobre sus nuevas creaciones teatrales...

Tengan en cuenta que las escenas se presentarán en español.

Esta presentación ha sido posible gracias al Public Health Grant de Southwark Council.


Supported by

  • Southwark Council