Time really is up for these bossy women. Oranges & Elephants, with its all-female creative team and company of actor-musicians, gets its world premiere tonight (25 January 2018) as the first offering in Hoxton Hall’s Female Parts season. Check out the versatility (and fabulous Victorian music hall costumes) on display in our gallery of production shots – and then get booking!
Oranges & Elephants centres on two rival female gangs in a pickpocket turf war in Victorian London and uses a blend of Music Hall, Fairground and Musical Theatre to tell their spellbinding story.
“Same ol gravy, different flavour.”
When Mary arrives in London, she is quickly introduced to gang life. How will she make her life expectancy of twenty-five when the two gangs are after owning her? Mary wants to be a Music Hall star. Nellie of The Elephants falls in love with Mary, and they try to escape from thievery to the bright lights of Piccadilly.
Sinead Long stars as Mary with Christina Tedders as Nellie and an all-female cast of actor-musicians that also features Kate Adams (Flo), Rebecca Bainbridge (Ada), Susannah van den Berg (Chair), Rosalind Ford (Nora), Liz Kitchen (Annie), Natasha Lewis (Violet), Kate Marlais (Maggie) and Sarah J Warren (Minnie).
Oranges & Elephants has book and lyrics by Lil Warren. The premiere production is directed by former Hackney Empire creative director Susie McKenna, with musical direction by movement by Abigail Rosser, design by Sara Perks, sound by Yvonne Gilbert, lighting by Johanna Town and costumes by Sarah Mercade.
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