Video

Go behind the scenes on RSC's The Magician's Elephant

The musical adaptation premieres in October

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12 August 2021

Marc Teitler and Nancy Harris in a workshop for The Magician's Elephant — Marc Teitler and Nancy Harris in a workshop for *The Magician's Elephant*
© RSC, photograph by Sam Allard

The RSC's new musical adaptation of Kate DiCamillo's hit children's story The Magician's Elephant is currently in rehearsals, and you can get a glimpse into the making of the title character.

Nancy Harris provides book and lyrics for the piece, which also has music and lyrics by Marc Teitler. It follows the story of an orphan boy, whose whole world is transformed when a magician conjures an elephant from the sky.

The show is set to run from from Thursday 14 October 2021 to Saturday 1 January 2022, and will be directed by Sarah Tipple, who was the associate director on the venue's adaptation of David Walliams' The Boy in the Dress.

The principal cast includes Keisha Amponsa Banson (Matilda) as Gloria Matienne, Marc Antolin (Matilda) as Leo Matienne, Sam Harrison (Les Misérables) as Count Quintet, Forbes Masson (The Boy in the Dress) as Police Chief, Mark Meadows (Flowers for Mrs Harris) as Vilna Lutz, Alastair Parker (Matilda) as the Magician, Summer Strallen (Young Frankenstein) as Countess Quintet and Jack Wolfe (Pinocchio) as Peter Duchene.

The Magician's Elephant is designed by Colin Richmond, with lighting by Oliver Fenwick, music supervision and direction by Tom Brady, vocal arrangement by Brady and Teitler, orchestrations by Sarah Travis and Teitler, sound by Paul Groothuis, movement by Francesca Jaynes, dramaturgy by Réjane Collard-Walker, puppetry direction by Mervyn Millar, puppetry design by Millar and Tracy Waller. John Bulleid acts as magic consultant, with video by Douglas O'Connell.

Watch the video here: