Review: THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT, Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Whilst the RSC are renowned for their world-class Shakespeare productions, they have also turned their hand to many successful musical adaptations over the years - most recently the global phenomenon Matilda the Musical, but Les Miserables, Carrie the Musical and many others also originated with the Stratford-upon-Avon-based theatre company.

Enter The Magician's Elephant: a brand new family musical, based on Kate DiCamillo's award-winning 2009 novel. In the entirely ordinary town of Baltese, a magician conjures up an elephant from the sky. What follows is a series of extraordinary events that change the townsfolk forever.

Possessing all of the expected sparkle and high production values, The Magician's Elephant is visually stunning from start to finish. Colin Richmond's set utilises the height and depth of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage to its fullest, with set pieces tracking on from the wings, a bridge being lowed from the grid, and fluid, moving staircases being directed around the playing space by ensemble members and the revolve in certain scenes.

Oliver Fenwick's lighting has an ethereal quality, enhancing the fantasy elements. It's also a key component in creating the illusions of the piece, including the appearance (and disappearance) of the elephant itself.

Puppetry is not a new element of theatre, with War Horse at the forefront in recent years. Here we have a spectacular full-size elephant, designed by Tracy Waller and Mervyn Millar, controlled by three talented puppeteers. Although more could have been made of the elephant's first appearance, its casual sauntering onto the stage must be respected, as if it's an everyday occurrence seeing an elephant on stage!

Sarah Tipple's directorial vision for the piece is clear, with strong storytelling from Nancy Harris's book and lyrics. Marc Teitler's orchestrations are sublime, and though not all of the songs are entirely memorable, in context they work beautifully and help move the story along.

The effervescent ensemble cast are one of the greatest production strengths. From the moment that the vivacious Amy Booth-Steel enters the stage as the Narrator, you know you are in for a treat over the next couple of hours. The glue of the proceedings, Booth-Steel even dabbles in animating the front of the elephant on occasion. Jack Wolfe is our protagonist as Peter Duchene, who is told by a fortune teller that the elephant will lead him to his sister whom he has always been told was stillborn. Wolfe is an absolute star, with an otherworldly aura and a sensational vocal tone.

Other notable performances come from Summer Strallen as Countess Quintet, a slightly different role for her but she strikes the balance of comedy and villainy perfectly, and is able to showcase her epic soprano vocals throughout. Sam Harrison is a great counterpart for her as the Count who is eager to please his wife, if not just for an easy life; whilst Marc Antolin is a warm and constant presence as Leo Matienne.

With a few tiny tweaks and a little off the running time, The Magician's Elephant would be a flawless piece of artistry. Majestic and magnificent, just like its titular creature.

The Magician's Elephant is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre until 1 January, 2022 - book tickets here

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