NEWS
Anoushka Lucas’ award-winning Elephant stomps into the Menier Chocolate Factory
08 April 2025
The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced its latest must-see production: Elephant, the critically acclaimed debut play by writer and performer Anoushka Lucas, will take centre stage in a newly reimagined staging this summer.
Presented in collaboration with Kindred Partners, Elephant opens on 29 May, with previews from 22 May, and runs until 28 June. Originally commissioned and developed by the Bush Theatre, the production is directed once again by Jess Edwards, who helmed both of the show’s previous sell-out runs.
Part gig, part love story, and part deep dive into Britain’s colonial legacy, Elephant follows Lylah – a gifted young woman who finds her voice through music while navigating questions of identity, belonging, and heritage. As a child, Lylah learned to stay silent to survive. But when a piano appears in her council flat like magic, everything changes. Years later, as she falls in love and her music career takes off, the echoes of an untold history begin to resound – with her piano as the key to unlocking it all.
The show was a breakout success for Lucas, who won the Best Writer Award at The Stage Debut Awards and earned a nomination for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. Elephant made history as the fastest-selling production in the Bush Theatre’s Studio space before transferring to its main house to continued acclaim.
The new Menier production reunites Lucas and Edwards, along with a creative team including designer Georgia Wilmot, lighting designer Laura Howard, sound designer Xana, and video designer Gillian Tan.
Lucas is no stranger to the stage. Her recent acting credits include Oklahoma! (Young Vic and Wyndham’s Theatre – Olivier nomination), Rhinoceros (Almeida), Henry V (Donmar), After Life (National Theatre), and The Crucible (Sheffield Theatres), among others. She’s also a celebrated musician, with her debut album Dark Soul and multiple original theatre compositions under her belt.
Jess Edwards brings her award-winning directorial expertise to the project, having directed across some of the UK’s most vibrant stages including the Bush, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre503, and the Edinburgh Festival. Her accolades include the Summerhall Lustrum Award and the MTR Best Musical Award.
Elephant promises to be a poignant, musical, and magnetic journey through culture, memory, and self-discovery – and a highlight of the Menier Chocolate Factory’s summer season.
ELEPHANT
22 May – 28 June
Press Night: 29 May
Menier Chocolate Factory, London
Also playing:
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – until 3 May
Liza in Typsy! – 7–11 May
Presented in collaboration with Kindred Partners, Elephant opens on 29 May, with previews from 22 May, and runs until 28 June. Originally commissioned and developed by the Bush Theatre, the production is directed once again by Jess Edwards, who helmed both of the show’s previous sell-out runs.
Part gig, part love story, and part deep dive into Britain’s colonial legacy, Elephant follows Lylah – a gifted young woman who finds her voice through music while navigating questions of identity, belonging, and heritage. As a child, Lylah learned to stay silent to survive. But when a piano appears in her council flat like magic, everything changes. Years later, as she falls in love and her music career takes off, the echoes of an untold history begin to resound – with her piano as the key to unlocking it all.
The show was a breakout success for Lucas, who won the Best Writer Award at The Stage Debut Awards and earned a nomination for Most Promising Playwright at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. Elephant made history as the fastest-selling production in the Bush Theatre’s Studio space before transferring to its main house to continued acclaim.
The new Menier production reunites Lucas and Edwards, along with a creative team including designer Georgia Wilmot, lighting designer Laura Howard, sound designer Xana, and video designer Gillian Tan.
Lucas is no stranger to the stage. Her recent acting credits include Oklahoma! (Young Vic and Wyndham’s Theatre – Olivier nomination), Rhinoceros (Almeida), Henry V (Donmar), After Life (National Theatre), and The Crucible (Sheffield Theatres), among others. She’s also a celebrated musician, with her debut album Dark Soul and multiple original theatre compositions under her belt.
Jess Edwards brings her award-winning directorial expertise to the project, having directed across some of the UK’s most vibrant stages including the Bush, Southwark Playhouse, Theatre503, and the Edinburgh Festival. Her accolades include the Summerhall Lustrum Award and the MTR Best Musical Award.
Elephant promises to be a poignant, musical, and magnetic journey through culture, memory, and self-discovery – and a highlight of the Menier Chocolate Factory’s summer season.
ELEPHANT
22 May – 28 June
Press Night: 29 May
Menier Chocolate Factory, London
Also playing:
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – until 3 May
