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Company number: 3724349
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Past programme
Showcases an eclectic range of fresh and interesting contemporary work, largely by emerging artists
Boy Out The City
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The euphoria of seeing Sister Act 2 for the first time, surviving the streets of Coventry in his NafNaf jacket and the lonely aisles of Hobbycraft, this is the electric, funny and raw autobiographical debut by Declan Bennett.
Declan takes us on a journey into the messy and turbulent world of toxic masculinity, homophobia and men's mental health; confronting his Catholic school days in Coventry, discovering the Gay scene in 90’s Soho and surviving the harsh bright lights of New York City.
This is a story of a man in desperate search of identity and sanity who when confronted with the unexpected isolation of the Oxfordshire countryside, is forced to fight the demons of his past and come face to face with the Boy Out of The City.
Previous praise for Boy Out The City:
"This is invigorating theatre and one of the best one-man shows out there" ☆☆☆☆☆ Boyz Magazine
"Bennett is an outstanding actor and a master of words" ☆☆☆☆☆ London Theatre Review
"Declan's performance is a tour-de-force in raw emotion" ☆☆☆☆ Jack The Lad Magazine
☆☆☆☆☆ - Get The Chance
☆☆☆☆ - The Reviews Hub
☆☆☆☆ - The Upcoming
Reviews
ELEFUNNY COMEDY NIGHT
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:
Joshua Bethania
Aisha Amanduri
Tasha Cluskey
Louis Pollick
MIss Mo'Real
Compered and additional set by Fitzgerald Honger
See them here first!
Our ELEFUNNY comedy night in November last year featured Viggo Venn, who went on to win Britain's Got Talent 2023! Congratulations Viggo!
Joshua Bethania
Joshua Bethania is an award-winning comedian from India. His stand-up includes observations on life in London as an outsider and what he is doing to become an insider. Since starting stand-up in 2021, Joshua has gone on to win So You Think You're Funny? and become a BBC New Comedy Awards Finalist. In 2022 he also won King Gong at The Comedy Store and became a NATYS Finalist and was nominated in 2023 for Best Newcomer at the Chortle Comedy Awards
Aisha Amanduri
Aisha Amanduri is a South London based comedian from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. A Komedia New Act semi-finalist (2023), NATYS (2022) and 2Northdown New Act Finalist (2022). She is described in the Guardian as "clever, edgy and unexpected" and in Chortle "an appealing mix of upfront attitude with mischievous undercurrent". When she isn't explaining to people that Kazakhstan isn't in China or Romania, she is rotting her brain scrolling on Tiktok.
Tasha Cluskey
Tasha Cluskey is a London based, cockney voiced Comedian. She has gone from cracking people up by oversharing in beer gardens to oversharing on stages.With tales and stories around navigating life, love and family in her late 20's as a bi woman, she delivers it all in a direct, high energy, classic Essex style. Subtlety might not be her strong suit but leaving you laughing definitely is.
NATYs Semi Finalist 2022
West End New Act Semi Finalist 2023
Rising Star New Act Finalist 2023
So You Think You're Funny Semi Finalist 2023 (ongoing)
Louis Pollick
For most of Louis’ set you’ll be wondering if he knows what he’s doing. And then before you’ve quite made up your mind, it will all be over. He recently won Backyard Comedy Clubs knockout competition - who knows how!? (he also wrote this bio)
Miss Mo'Real
African British South Londoner Miss Mo’Real is refreshingly funny inspiring and is guaranteed to bring the house down.
She has performed around the UK including Comedy Store and the Hackney Empire and won the prestigious 291 Club talent show in July 2019. She has performed at the Wahala Comedy And won two roast competitions and was nominated for The Social Media Personality of the Year Award in 2018..
Though she tends to wear wigs and fake nails her material is based on her real life experiences and current issues- turning pain into power. She attended the Sylvia Young Performing Arts School, gaining a merit distinction in her diploma in performing arts. She ran her own Comedy Club in Brixton for 2 years and has presented a talk show on Urban Jazz Radio.
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.
A rising star, Fitz’s style is observational and dead-pan, drawing on his personal relationships, work and taboo subjects to leave audiences in stitches.
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.
5OLOS
5OLOS is an evening that will guide you into the chaotic mind of the choreographer.
Featuring performances by Antonello Sangirardi, Kennedy Junior Muntanga, Lauren Scott, Orla Collier and Harry Claxton.
harmony. 天人合一
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it” - Lao Tzu
harmony. 天人合一 is a physical play which explores the impact oil drilling and a culture of extraction has on our greatest natural resource, water. Through theatre and dance this work exposes our greed for oil, the desires of a capitalist society, and apathy in the face of a climate emergency.
Three performers represent water spirits inspired by East & Southeast Asian mythologies and Chinese philosophy. Together they shepherd us through a journey of water being corrupted by oil and human intervention but water remembers where it has been and what has dissolved in it, so the question this play asks is, what does an enraged and incensed water do? An immersive sound design and composition underscores moments of rhythmic and percussive movement and evocative text.
Produced by award-winning British East & Southeast Asian theatre company Ellandar Productions, harmony. 天人合一 was originally commissioned by Certain Blacks for Ensemble Festival 2022 and further supported by The Pleasance Theatre Trust, Centre151, and Blue Elephant Theatre. This work is funded by Arts Council England.
Photo credit: Camilla Greenwell
Science Adventures: Deep Sea
We will be heading to the bottom of the sea with Coppice Theatre for an exciting aquatic adventure!
Join Professor Flotsam and Dr Wright in their brand new submarine as they look for the strangest creatures in the deep, learn about looking after the oceans and read some of their favourite sea stories! This fantastical show explores the importance of protecting our coast and oceans through puppetry, animation and storytelling whilst fostering a love of science and literature.
The team that brought you Science Adventures (2018) and Science Adventures: The Power Pickle (2021) bring you a brand new show with exciting new characters and three new stories aimed at primary school-aged children. Coppice Theatre are a Cornish-based company that specialises in creating engaging, entertaining and educational productions for young people.
This show was created thanks to kind support from Arts Council England and Feast Cornwall.
Please note that owing to the nationwide emergency notification test on Sunday 23rd, the afternoon performance will now begin at 1.45pm. All current bookers are being notified.
4SOLOS
An evening of improvisation starring Kennedy Junior Muntanga, Max Cookward, Elisabeth Mulenga, and Moses Ward.
Deluge
In the wake of a relationship, a woman circles the drain, sifting through other people’s stories in an attempt to contain the overflow of her thoughts. But something's blocked, and to make matters worse there are leaks to fix in her house. It was meant to be a quick job, but the holes just keep getting bigger.
The water is rising.
Deluge is a captivating and humorous piece of magical realism about loss, blending true stories with fiction, movement with text, and comedy with music.
This is a work-in-progress sharing of an exciting new dance theatre piece lasting approximately 25 minutes, which will be followed by a Q&A with the artist.
This project is supported by Arts Council England.
Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman
“I'm not a girl, not yet a woman. All I need is time, a moment that is mine, while I'm in between.”
Remember that Britney-themed sleepover you had in 2002? Welcome back to your mum’s basement, sort of… Come over, put on your pjs, try your best to sing karaoke without waking your dad. But wait, you’re not a girl anymore, are you? Are you a woman? Something in-between? None of the above?
In Not a Girl Not Yet a Woman, two confused performers in their late-twenties submerge themselves in Britney’s story to interrogate their own adultness. Expect fun noughties nostalgia as they take you through a coming-of-age, Britney-themed sleepover. Dabbling in dance, live music, other-people’s-poetry, comedy, and games, they unpack what we can learn from the Princess of Pop (while trying not to have an existential crisis). It’s messy, it’s a 13-year-old’s sleepover nightmare, and it’s about control.
About Popsie Theatre
Popsie Theatre is a female, queer, migrant-led devising company based in London. Members include performers Talia Kracauer and Rute Costa, and director Tilney Brune. They joined forces to make movement-based work with a strong comedic vein - camp and entertaining, whilst exploring the political and profound topics that take up a lot of space in our brains.
Content warnings: swearing, partial nudity, discussions of mental illness, heavy use of perfume
ELEFUNNY COMEDY NIGHT
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!
Line-up
COMPERE: FITZGERALD HONGER
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.
DEE ALLUM
Dee Allum is an award-winning stand-up comedian and writer.
Dee started her comedy career performing sketches with the Cambridge Footlights and wrote the prestigious Footlights Pantomime in 2018. Dee has also written and performed a 45-minute solo stand-up show, and has performed on the UK Comedy circuit, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and at Latitude Festival.
In the last two years Dee has been nominated for Best Newcomer at the Chortle Awards, placed as runner up in the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year award 2021, won the 2Northdown New Act Competition 2021 and was a finalist in the 2022 BBC New Comedy Award competition.
SHARON WANJOHI
Sharon Wanjohi is an up and coming stand up comedian with a varied act ranging from shock to absurd comedy. A Chortle Student Comedy Award Finalist and Funny Women Stage Award Finalist, with 4 years on the circuit, she talks (maybe too much) about children's films and the cartoon dilfs that inspired a generation of sexual awakenings. And she thinks Ratatouille is a commentary on race.
SHALAKA KURUP
Shalaka is an observational comedian and a huge fan of living, laughing & loving.
She's performed at venues across London, including Angel Comedy, Vauxhall Comedy Club and the Comedy Store.
2Northdown New Act Competition Finalist 2022
Brighton Komedia New Act 2023: Runner Up
"Deadpan joy" - James Walsh, The Morning Star
“(an) air of easy professionalism” - Chortle
LUKE CRAIG
Finalist in the 2019 Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year, Luke Craig draws the audience in with his impeccable wit and stage presence. With topics ranging from his South London upbringing to fatherhood, Craig is surely one to watch out for.
“He is a compelling storyteller, with command of pacing, timing, and the dramatic pause.” – The Evening Standard
“His talk of growing up around the shady characters of Croydon and Lewisham, offer[s] some insight into a world not often credibly portrayed” - Chortle
RICKY BO LEE
Ricky is an upcoming comedian and writer from South London who uses his lived experiences to dissect and make fun of everyday life. He uses his comedy to point out the unspoken everyday things with a tint of nostalgia. Be sure to catch him on the circuit!
LUCA CUPANI
Luca has been no stranger to the comedy world circuit since – gigging in Dubai and across Europe (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark to name a few) and of course in Italy, where he has appeared on Zelig, the most successful Italian TV comedy show (recorded live in front of an audience of 2300 people).
Cupani has appeared at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, competed in Seattle and San Francisco International Comedy Festival and regularly performs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Luca’s latest show Happy Orphan received multiple rave reviews.
His solo show in Italian has been broadcasted on the TV channel Rai 5 and it is available on streaming on Amazon Prime Video (Italian Stand Up, episode 3). Luca’s UK credits include appearing on Comedians Vs. News (BBC World Service) The Arts Hour (BBC World Service) and The Arts Hour International Comedy Show (BBC World Service)
Community Street Party
We are back for another Street Party!
Join us on Saturday 25 March from 12pm to 5pm for a street party on the Wyndham Road side of the Jessie Duffett Hall!
Supported by Southwark Council's Cultural Celebrations Fund, it will be a family-focused day with workshops and performances open to all.
Live music, dancing, performances, workshops... It's a day of celebration and a chance to get to know Blue Elephant and its activities better!
(in case of bad weather, the event will be relocated to Blue Elephant Theatre, 59A Bethwin Rd, SE5 0XT)
FREE
INCLUDING:
• A performance by Blue Elephant's very own Young People's Theatre
• Drama games led by our facilitators
• A giant mural to draw and paint on
• Music & salsa dancing
• Free tea, coffee and soft drinks
Blue Elephant Theatre will be open for bathroom facilities, just a few minutes walk away.
Lasagna
What would you do if a neighbour started to leave food on your doorstep? It’s the first national lockdown, two women, both strangers, step out and across the line that divides them.
Lasagna is based on the true life experiences of women who have lost multiple children to the care system. It celebrates community, generosity and humanity.
This performance of Lasagna will be followed by a post show panel including:
Catrina McHugh MBE, Artistic Director of Open Clasp & Writer of Lasagna (Chair)
Vanessa, Co-Creator of Lasagna
Jules Hillier, Pause CEO
.
From the company behind Key Change - New York Times Critics’ Pick and Sugar on BBC iPlayer.
“It made me smile and cry and restored faith in common humanity.”
“Lasagna provides much food for thought.”
“Lasagna was a fantastic production, I watched it twice…thought provoking, motivating and powerful piece.”
About Open Clasp
Open Clasp place theatre at the heart of transforming the lives of women and girls. We collaborate with women and young women excluded by theatre and society to create bold and urgent theatre for personal, social and political change.
We often work directly with women who are affected by the criminal justice system in England in prisons and in community settings to produce theatre of the highest quality. This is then used to influence public opinion, train service providers and influence policy debates. Our work is supported by the women we work with, and the partnerships nurtured in the women’s service sector, community organisations, and academia.
“Open Clasp - a remarkable company working with disempowered women.” The Guardian
Attempts On Her Life
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
Bamboozled
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
ERECT - 42 minutes plus shipping
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.
Led By The Wind
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.