Photos: First Look at the Royal Shakespeare Company's THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT

The Royal Shakespeare Company today released the first images of new musical The Magician's Elephant by Nancy Harris (book/lyrics) and Marc Teitler (music/lyrics) based on the novel by prize-winning children's author Kate DiCamillo.

Check out the photos below!

The production, which runs until 1 January 2022, marks the official re-opening of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre - which has its 60th anniversary in 2021 - and the return of audiences to indoor performances at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time since March 2020.

The cast includes; Sharif Afifi (Milliner), Marc Antolin (Leo Matienne), Alison Arnopp (Baker), Renu Arora (Madame LaVaughn), Amy Booth-Steel (Narrator), Hannah Brown (Swing), Melissa James (Gloria Matienne), Michael Carolan (Swing), Lucca Chadwick-Patel (Fishmonger), Stephen John Davis (Doctor), Zoe Halliday (The Elephant), Sam Harrison (Count Quintet), Lauren Jones (Lisette), Forbes Masson (Police Chief), Wela Mbusi (The Elephant), Mark Meadows (Vilna Lutz), Suzanne Nixon (The Elephant), Miriam Nyarko (Adele), Alastair Parker (Magician), Wendy Somerville (Mrs Griswald) Summer Strallen (Countess Quintet), Mandi Symonds (Sister Marie), Chrystine Symone (Lamplighter) and Jack Wolfe (Peter Duchene).

The Magician's Elephant was originally due to run from October 2020 - January 2021 but was postponed due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, which included the temporary cancellation of all RSC performances, events and other activities.

The Magician's Elephant tells the story of orphan Peter Augustus Duchene, who lives a frugal life in the lonely town of Baltese. Then one day, a magician conjures an elephant from the sky. The animal's appearance sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that it changes Baltese forever. Peter is catapulted into the quest of his life, overturning everything he ever thought he knew, and discovering that happiness can come from the most unexpected places.

This new adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's heart-breaking and darkly magical children's book by Nancy Harris (book/lyrics) and Marc Teitler (music/lyrics) is directed by Sarah Tipple, Associate Director to Gregory Doran on The Boy in the Dress. The production features design by Colin Richmond whose previous RSC credits include Wendy and Peter Pan and Vice Versa. Lighting is by Oliver Fenwick, Music Supervision and Musical Direction by Tom Brady, Orchestrations by Sarah Travis and Marc Teitler, vocal arrangements by Tom Brady and Marc Teitler, sound by Paul Groothuis and movement by Francesca Jaynes. Dramaturgy is by Réjane Collard-Walker. Puppetry direction is by Mervyn Millar with puppetry design by Mervyn Millar and Tracy Waller. Illusion Design is by John Bulleid whose previous RSC credits include #WeAreArrested, and video is by Douglas O'Connell.

For more information visit: https://www.rsc.org.uk/

To post a comment, you must register and login.