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One hundred people’s ninth favourite thing: [title of show] @swkplay

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[title of show] takes you back to a time before the fast paced social media where word of mouth for a positive show came from chat boards, video diaries or (god forbid) blogs. A simple staging makes it an ideal (and economical piece to stage), but it’s sweet and earnest take on just putting on a show, and putting it out there and taking a chance gives this show its heart. With a strong and energetic cast and endless musical theatre references, it’s hard to resist and it’s currently playing at the Southwark Playhouse .  It opens with Hunter (Jacob Fowler) and Jeff (Thomas Oxley) as struggling young writers in New York City. An upcoming New York Musical Theatre festival, inspires them to write an original musical within three weeks to make the deadline. As they discuss ideas, writers block, distractions and endless other good and bad musicals, an idea for a show emerges. Which is about writing a show for a musical theatre festival.  Their friends Heidi (Abbie Budden) and Susan (Mary Moor

The elephant in the room: Elephant’s Graveyard @TheProdExch


Saturday is the last day to catch the live stream of Elephants Graveyard. It's a title that piqued my interest, assuming that it was about a bar where old people go and drink.

But it's not that. Instead, it's a combination of oral history, legend and direct to camera straight-faced explanation of the only known lynching of an elephant. Adapted well to the world of COVID with sharp cuts, circus-themed backdrops and the now-familiar multiple camera squares of video streams. 

It's not live theatre, but it's a welcome online diversion with an entertaining story that explores spectacle, violence, rumours and revenge. All the things that seem to be near and dear to our hearts at the moment. 

Written by George Brant, it is set in 1914 in a small forgotten town in Tennessee where people were bored. So a circus coming to town was a chance to escape boredom and have some fun. But during the parade and freak accident happens. Soon rumours are spreading that culminates in this strange form of retribution. 

The ensemble, speaking directly to the camera, brings a series of conflicting stories to life and gives you a sense of the time and place. But most of all it's great to see stories can continue to be told while theatres remain shut and the creative industries are struggling to survive.  

From the The Production Exchange. The Production Exchange is also a charity, which aims to support early-career practitioners through developing skills and access to resources. You can find more about the charity and donate on their website.

Directed by Colin Blumenau, Elephant's Graveyard concludes streaming today. 

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