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News
The Blue Elephant Theatre never ever does things by halves
Please see our past programme section for reviews of past shows.
Two brand new artist opportunities
We have just launched two fantastic opportunities to get you through lockdown 2.0.
Playwriting Competition
We love new writing at the Blue Elephant and building relationships with writers at the start of their careers. We’d like to invite emerging playwrights to submit the first scene of a script (up to 6 pages) and a short synopsis of what will be explored in the rest of the script (whether it is already written or not).
Blue Elephant Theatre is particularly interested in new writing which reflects contemporary multicultural urban life or which engages with pressing issues.
The writers of two of the scenes submitted to us will receive a prize of £100 each and mentoring and support to develop their script over a six month period with at least three support sessions as well as feedback on drafts.
Anyone living in London who does not consider themselves to be an established playwright is welcome to apply. Please send your script extract and synopsis to submissions@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk by December 2nd.
Dance Film Festival Call-Out
We also love dance at the Blue Elephant. We want to hold a dance film festival and we are seeking submissions! Have you made a dance film in the past or have you been making short dance films in lockdown?
We will stream an online festival of them and - ideally at the same time - screen them at the theatre, like an exhibition at a gallery. We aim to have approximately an hour’s content and there will be £300 prize money to be divided up amongst all the winning films.
To apply, please email your film to submissions@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk by December 2nd.
You can find all the information about these two opportunities below as well as Easy Read versions.
Elephant Tips #7
We have some fresh new Elephant Tips coming your way today including a few crafty ones to help with that Christmas shopping.
While things are still disrupted and opportunities for artists are limited, we wanted to spread the word about what is out there and available to you. Like most Blue Elephant seasons, there's a selection here and hopefully something for everyone, whether young or old, working in the arts or not...
Voila! Europe Festival
Voila! Europe is an annual theatre rendez-vous in London, bringing together British and European theatre makers each November. Our curated programme is a border-busting mix of multicultural, multilingual, and multidisciplinary performance.
A particular shout-out to our friends Julia Masli & Viggo Venn who are presenting We Missed You . During the pandemic Julia & Viggo went out to unexpected public spaces in Lambeth to do playful, magical and socially-distanced performances to lift the spirits of local people. These moments of connection were filmed and will be screened as part of the live performance. Check out the festival here.
Home Baked Bling
Alice Rose offers a range of handmade polymer clay jewellery in bright colours and bold patterns. The perfect stocking filler for the festive season and custom orders are available here.
Iain Gibbons Art
Iain is a cartoon and fine art artist. His Etsy shop comprises of bird images on canvas and hand-inked cartoons on paper and a range of work printed onto cards. Take a look around here.
Baby Bear @Home
Moon On A Stick presents their brand new show for babies. Baby Bear is being screened as part of Harrow Arts Centre’s HAC From Home season. Cosy in her cave, baby bear doesn’t want to leave but the creatures from the forest outside have other ideas. With beautiful puppetry, a mesmerising soundtrack and plenty of interaction, this is the perfect at-home theatre experience for babies 0-2 and their families here.
New Stories
Yellow Earth present their digital short play festival. They are thrilled to be showcasing 17 British East and South East Asian (BESEA) playwrights with 17 new short plays. Brought to life by over 60 BESEA freelance theatre-makers, these plays will be live-streamed throughout the day on Friday 30 October on our social channels.here.
Le Cat in (re)Boots
As part of the 23rd South Ken Kids Festival, Exchange Theatre is back on a stage with a new family show Le Cat in (re)Boots!, exploring themes of Kindness, Fraternity and Diversity.
Charles Perrault’s Puss in Boots, or Le Chat Botté, is one of the most beloved heroes for the children as adults, a master trickster who breaks down all barriers of class and origins. He makes his master's fortune by playing tricks on everyone, even the King; but are they tricks or justice?
Wednesday 18th November at 4pm, suitable for ages 5 and up and performed in English. More information and to book tickets click here.
Weston Jerwood Creative Bursaries 2020-22
Over 2020-2022, the programme will support 50 salaried jobs in arts and cultural organisations across the UK, for individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds. The programme is dedicated to supporting outstanding early-career artists, curators, producers and creatives to thrive, and working in partnership with leading arts and cultural organisations to take an inclusive, intersectional approach to recruitment, artist development and organisational change.
You can find out about some of the bursaries on offer here. all over the country but check back for regular updates and don't forget to spread the word.
Celebrating Black Voices
Five short monologues have been written specially for Blue Elephant Theatre for Black History Month 2020. These monologues by Sandra Brown Springer, Elizabeth Adejimi, Angela Mhlanga, Saana Sze, Olu Alakija are inspired by Black people of past and present and intended to introduce young people to heroes they may not have heard of previously.
The monologues focus on Mary Prince, the first woman to have her account of slavery published in Britain, Mary Seacole, who nursed men on the battlefield of the Crimea, Madam CJ Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America, Claudia Jones, activist and a founder of Notting Hill Carnival, and legendary tennis player Serena Williams.
The monologues are being recorded as rehearsed readings by Sharla Smith, Romy Foster and Amelia Parillon. They will premiere on Saturday 24th October at 12pm and will be available to view here.
This work is funded by Southwark’s Black History Month Fund.
Celebrating Black Voices – Blue Elephant Writers Announced
This Black History Month, Blue Elephant Theatre is commissioning five writers to write short monologues, suitable for primary school-aged audiences, around the theme of Black Heroes. The monologues will be recorded and available to watch on YouTube.
We are delighted to share that the writers chosen are:
Sandra Brown Springer
Sandra is an emerging writer of prose and poetry who was shortlisted for the Nick Darke Award for Playwriting 2018 for her first play, Seb’s Soles. She has written an Amazon Kindle e-book for children called Alice and Her Magic Hair. She is writing about Mary Seacole.
Elizabeth Adejimi
Elizabeth has chosen to write about Madam CJ Walker, the first female self-made millionaire in America.
Angela Mhlanga
Zimbabwean born multi-disciplinary artist, Angela focuses on writing and creating unique silhouetted paintings, sculptures and puppet shows out of recyclable materials. She has recently collaborated with Coventry City of Culture, Talking Birds Company and Shoot Festival. Her monologue is inspired by Serena Williams.
Saana Sze
Saana is an East London based playwright and poet and she is writing about Claudia Jones.
Olu Alakija
Olu is a playwright, screenwriter and script reader. In 2020 his play Mr Ten per cent reached the top three in Just Some Theatre’s Forward Dialogue Initiative. In 2019 he was long-listed for The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting and he was shortlisted for the Theatre 503 Five. Olu was one of the Year 4 Tamasha Playwrights 2017/18. He is writing about Mary Prince.
The monologues will be available to watch from October 24th.
This work is funded by Southwark’s Black History Month Fund.
BET Artist Network
Blue Elephant Theatre is very excited to be launching our Artist Network.
We are launching it to keep in touch with emerging artists, share opportunities and facilitate new collaborations.
Artists are invited to sign up to our mailing list here and will receive emails a couple of times a month - we're also very happy to include other opportunities from artists in these emails, so please do get in touch if you have something you'd like to share.
We're also inviting artists to share details about themselves and their work on our Artist Network Google Sheet, which is open for anyone to view, make connections, to offer or ask for mentoring, or just expand their network of other artists.
Elephant Tips #6
While things are still disrupted and opportunities for artists are limited, we wanted to spread the word about what is out there and available to you. Like most Blue Elephant seasons, there's a selection here and hopefully something for everyone, whether young or old, working in the arts or not...
Today's Elephant Tips mark Black History Month so we've got a selection of events and opportunities for, by and about Black artists and communities.
Young Gifted & Black
Theatre Peckham celebrates its reopening with Young Gifted & Black, a multi-artform programme of socially distanced, in-person and participatory digital events, taking place throughout October and into November. The line-up features theatre, new writing, spoken word, poetry, scratch nights, panel discussions, workshops, seminars and exhibitions. Curated by Associate Director malakaï sargeant alongside Artistic Director Suzann McLean, more than ten events spread across five weeks, shine a light on lived experiences of London’s Black community. Find out more - here.
846 Re:Play
Slightly further afield but a free opportunity from Stratford East open to Black* young people aged 16-18 in East London and nearby boroughs. All you need is passion and commitment. Work with writer Natasha Brown and director Abigail Sewell to write and perform an audio play on Stratford East's main stage. To register click - here.
Digital Patchwork Quilt
Celebrate Black History Month and contribute by creating a digital square for the Southwark Stands Together Digital Quilt.
Our digital patchwork quilt project is inspired by Harriet Tubman, an abolitionist and freedom fighter; whose brave and noble work liberated many fellow slaves by means of an underground railroad – a network of secret routes and safe houses. A square at a time we will build a quilt that symbolises togetherness, peace, equality and justice. Families and friends can create a patch together, or you can send in your own. Your square can be created and then photographed, or produced digitally.
The finished digital quilt will be available to see online, at libraries and in chosen venues across Southwark. To take part click - here.
Windrush: Portrait of a generation
A photo essay by Jim Grover capturing the daily lives - church, home, social, funerals & more - of Lambeth families who came from the Caribbean 70 years ago will be on display in Brixton Library from the 1st of Oct. Find out more about this poignant exhibition here.
Free online dance classes
Upside Down Dance is inviting you to celebrate Black History Month with them and is offering free dance classes for children and adults. Get a free taste of Afrobeat, Dancehall, Soca & hip hop classes for a week on Zoom. You can book tickets to a class here.
And one for luck...
Tata Storytime
Tata Storytime is a new online kids' show where fantastic actors read beautiful picture books. With Authors from African, Caribbean & African American heritage these stories will engage your children pre-school to 8 years. You can find them all on youtube.
Celebrating Black Voices - Writer Call-Out
Black History Month in Southwark: Celebrating Black Voices
Blue Elephant Theatre is seeking five Black writers to write very short monologues, suitable for primary school-aged audiences, around the theme of Black Heroes.
Each monologue will be about a Black person from history who was/is heroic or significant in some way but may not be well-known to children.
The monologue can be written as this person, as someone close to them or as someone talking to them – the choice is the writer’s!
Each writer and the Blue Elephant will agree on a subject and the Blue Elephant will provide some basic research so that the writer only needs to concentrate on writing. The monologue is expected to be 3 – 6 minutes long.
The plan is to record each piece as read by actors and share them as audio files and via YouTube.
There is a payment of £120 for each monologue, this includes:
• Agreeing on the subject with BET
• Writing and submitting a monologue by October 15th
• Addressing any small points raised on submission by October 17th
• Allowing the monologue to be recorded and shared – an agreement will be made but ideally it will stay publicly online for more than six months
• Checking that you are happy with the subtitles added on YouTube
This project is funded by Southwark Council’s Black History Month Fund and decisions have only just been made so time is very short. To apply to write a monologue, please email Niamh at Niamh@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk with:
• An attachment with a sample of your writing, up to one page long, that you think showcases your suitability for this call-out. Please include no personal details or indications of identity on this page as it will be sent to our two trustees who are making the decisions completely anonymously. Please do not write anything new for this – we are looking for extracts from pieces you have already written. They don’t need to be for children.
• Please indicate in your email only if there is anyone you would particularly like to write about or already have a lot of knowledge on
• If you are also an actor, please say in the email if you would also like to be considered for the recordings/receiving information about them. The recordings are to take place on October 19th and 20th.
• Please include your phone number in the email
The deadline to apply is 12 noon on Saturday 3rd October! Please also email Niamh or call 02077010100 to discuss alternative ways to submit an application.
As this is a celebration of Black voices, this commission is for people who are Black/of Black heritage only. With the short turnaround, we are also limiting it to people who have a base in London (if you have moved away temporarily and plan to come back, you can still apply). Finally, please only apply if you are able to commit to completing the monologue by October 15th.
We aim to notify the five writers on October 6th.
Interview with Rebecca Tortora, Director of 'The Title of the Drama about Ante is Written Here'
Why did you want to direct Ante?
When I was working at BET as Education Officer Jasmine asked me if I wanted to direct a rehearsed reading of Ante as part of Writers at Work. It went well and then BET decided to programme it as a fully realised production which was a great opportunity.
I really liked the way the play took a news headline of a big picture political conflict, the Croatian war of independence, and made it personal through one family’s experience. I also really enjoyed the theatricality in the script, juxtaposing intense emotional content with the actors describing their actions from the outside.
The writer, Ivor Martinic, had developed the script from improvisation and it had a free, spacious quality to it which allowed for a visual style of storytelling. I tried to recapture that in the show so that the actors were always on stage, jumped in and out of character and discovered the story as they performed.
What are your favourite memories of the show?
I got to work with a really lovely team of people who all brought lots of energy, creativity and positivity to the process.
Playing with recreating a sense of improvisation was a creative challenge for me and for a while it slowed down the action. George Mann and Nir Paldi from Theatre Ad Infinitum had been working at BET and came in and watched a run about halfway through. They gave me some really useful feedback which helped to unlock the energy of the play. The cast were great and really went for it.
It was exciting working with Dinah Mullen on the sound design. She introduced a simple sung live theme which recurred at various moments and some recorded sound too. Live singing is something I’ve incorporated in all the shows I’ve done since. I love it!
It was also really great to work with the design team on creating a world of newspaper and a white box theatre that could be drawn on like a giant white board. It was lovely to play with lighting on white walls.
The whole thing was a brilliant learning experience. It was really exciting to watch the show with a full audience, feel the buzz and see it come together.
I’m forever grateful to Jasmine for taking a chance on me as a director. Thanks!
How would you describe Blue Elephant in one sentence?
Fun, inclusive, experimental, DIY, kind, community oriented and unpretentious.
Are you working on any shows now?
I’ve just made a show called #TheMarket which looked at the themes of consumerism and self-worth. It explored cryptocurrency, pyramid selling, cryogenics, fake news, social media and the art of manifestation. It was created with students from East15 Acting School and I’m now adapting it for a small professional cast.
I’m putting together a bid for ‘Theatre on Film Fest’ an online festival of new work focussing on magical realism, physical theatre and new stories created by theatre makers and shot on mobile phones. If funded this will take place early next year.
I’m also planning to R and D a one-person show, ‘Flying or Falling,’ to be filmed and presented digitally, exploring the theme of mortality through extreme selfies, base jumping, astral projection, masks and painting with your eyes.
Elephant Tips #5
While things are still distrupted and opportunities for artists are limited, we wanted to spread the word about what is out there and available to you. Like most Blue Elephant seasons, there's a selection here and hopefully something for everyone, whether young or old, working in the arts or not...
We're continuing to try to support the artists we work with so these opportunities will be by artists who have worked with Blue Elephant or who are at the very early stages of their careers or they are activities that might be of interest to emerging artists.
Hate 2 Love Collective
“All the Feels" features monologues and vignettes of original work from emerging and existing talent: actors, writers and creatives in the UK and from around the world. This work was streamed live in August but is still available for you to watch here
Camden People's Theatre Call-outs
Camden People's Theatre have announced a series of call-out opportunities for artists. Another theatre that supports emerging artists and innovative ideas, the opportunities include the offer of 9 seed commissions to artists from marginalised backgrounds, to support the development of innovative new theatre projects. You can find out about them here. Hurry as the deadlines are fast approaching!
Swish by Moulded Theatre
Whilst they are unable to tour live in 2020 to venues, hospitals, schools and libraries around the UK, Moulded Theatre have made Swish online! They have details of the online tour of their show for 3-7 year olds - which is suitable for audience members with complex needs - here.
Hatha Flow for Creatives
Yoga for creatives who struggle with stress, anxiety and lack of motivation. These classes are designed to help you balance emotions, relax, and ease into the present moment. Reducing stress and anxiety helps with feeling more open and creative. here.
Shannen Dance and Fitness
Fun online dance and fitness classes with Shannen Redmond. More details and video workouts can be found here.
Blue Elephant Birthday Celebrations - Day 7
Today we are saying THANK YOU to some of the people who make Blue Elephant what it is!
We’re starting with the team at BET - trustees, volunteers and staff. Thank you!
We wanted to give out some other awards to some familiar faces at the Blue Elephant.
On this anniversary, we can’t forget that our Chair of Trustees, Chris, has been supporting the Blue Elephant for its entire 21 years. That deserves a lifetime achievement award if anything does.
We also have a few people we don’t get to shout about as much as we’d like - two stealthy supporters who are always there when needed.
Duty Manager/Facilitator/Technician/Editor Kome who always has BET’s back and appears unexpectedly all the time just to check on things or to sort something out.
Trustee Paul who should really have his own seat by now, coming to support our emerging artists and young people and see their work so often. He quietly and consistently supports us, especially in times of difficulty.
Blue Elephant Birthday Celebrations - Day 6
Today we're celebrating the creativity and talent of our Young People's Theatre, which has been going strong for many years.
We want to look to a more positive future so are sharing the thoughts of some of our young people about Blue Elephant. We very much appreciate the time they and their parents took to make these videos for us - as every actor knows, self-tapes aren’t easy!
We also announced the winners of our 21st birthday poster competition, which received so many fantastic entries that picking winners was difficult! Below are the winning entries:
Over 10
Under 10 and Digital
Finally, we think this poster deserves a special commendation for the wonderful poem!
Blue Elephant Birthday Celebrations - Day 5
We asked Jasmine Cullingford, the second Artistic Director of the Blue Elephant, to say a few words about her time there and particularly about her programming.
There are some wonderful memories here and also great insight into the workings of a very small theatre.
Have a watch and see if you remember any of the shows!
We also shared pictures from our in-house shows since Jasmine started programming, through to The Christmas Quest in December 2019, listed below.
The Christmas Quest (December 2019)
Baa Humbug (December 2018)
Boy in Darkness (March-April 2015)
The Butterfly Lovers (April 2014)
The Fantastical Adventures of [Not] Being With You (June-July 2012)
Noah’s Ark (November-December 2011)
The Book of Disquiet (June-July 2011)
The Cave (October-November 2010)
Drive Thru Nativity (December 2009)
The title of the drama about Ante is written here (September-October 2009)
Blue Elephant Birthday Celebrations - Day 4
Our Co-Artistic and Participation Director Jo Sadler-Lovett, leads an engaging workshop online where we create a monologue to look back on in the future and remember how we are feeling now - as well as some drama games to play at home to get imaginations firing!
We also took the opportunity to celebrate and shout about the work we do in schools. We are incredibly proud of the community programmes we run which form a large proportion of the work that we do and has involved working with and in schools.
It is innovative, creative and accessible and has had an incredible, positive impact on our community and on the lives of many people.
Creative Minds is our primary school programme.
We deliver weekly bespoke drama workshops in local Southwark schools each term, generally reaching 800 - 1000 young people a year.
The workshops can cover any topic the school requests and they are often delivered to targeted groups of children.
Teachers say:
“Creative Minds provides a really useful outlet for us to refer underprivileged children who need additional support of experts.’
“Our children…need the opportunity to feel proud of themselves, to shine, to listen to applause, to see their parents, teachers and peers admiring their work. Creative Minds has given this opportunity.”
Our Speak Out programme works with schools to address issues around mental health and well-being, training young facilitators in the process.
“It’s amazing what Blue Elephant do for disadvantaged communities. I could have got caught up in the wrong activity with the wrong crowd if it wasn't for my experience working with you.” (Actor in training)
Speak Out has taken on fifteen trainee actor-facilitators since 2015, the majority of whom who were not in education, employment or training, had mental health problems or were at risk of developing them. The achievements of the trainees since beginning with us have been outstanding, with many progressing to further training and paid work very quickly afterwards.
Students in the schools Speak Out has visited have developed their self-confidence and self-belief, their awareness of mental health issues and explored ways to manage their well- being.
One teacher said she “could not believe the impact the programme has had. I was moved to tears”
Blue Elephant Birthday Celebrations - Day 3
Our patron Radzi Chinyanganya wished us a happy birthday!
We also shared an interview with Antonio Ribeiro, the founder and first Artistic Director of Blue Elephant Theatre, talking about his life and how the theatre came about.
Blue Elephant Birthday Celebrations - Day 1
From June 1st, we are celebrating Blue Elephant's 21st anniversary and all the people who have made it possible.
On June 1st, we shared two very special films.
The first - to mark the start of Volunteers Week 2020 - is an interview with our two longest-standing volunteers, Chris Lawrence and Leo Scalione.
And a longer but engrossing watch is this documentary made by founder Antonio Ribeiro from never-before-seen footage of the early days of the Blue Elephant. You can watch it here