New musical Private Jones set for European premiere – creator Marshall Pailet explains the show’s genesis

Exclusive: Southwark Playhouse Elephant is set to host the European premiere of new musical Private Jones later this year.

Running this Christmas, the production explores the First World War through the eyes of a deaf Welsh soldier and highly successful sniper, Gomer Jones.

Writer and director Marshall Pailet, known for his work on Who’s Your Baghdaddy, describes the show as a coming-of-age story that balances grit and irreverence. The production is notable for its integration of sign language, live captioning, and a Foley soundscape, delivered by a cast of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing performers.

“I have always been interested in the First World War, particularly the trench warfare stories from the perspective of one individual,” Pailet explained last month when discussing the project with WhatsOnStage. While researching, he encountered a brief mention of a deaf Welsh sharpshooter named Gomer Jones. “It was just a few sentences, but I found it incredibly compelling. I wanted to tell a war story that felt unique.”

For Pailet, the musical form was the natural choice to convey the protagonist’s experience. “I kept asking myself, what does war feel like if you cannot hear the bullets? I wanted to explore how we use sound, and in this case, how we challenge the traditional reliance on sound in a musical, to serve one person’s emotional journey.”

The production has undergone significant development since its inception in 2021, including a highly successful world premiere at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, which won four Helen Hayes Awards. For its London debut, the show has been reworked with input from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Pailet emphasises that this process is essential for ensuring authenticity.

“A British audience has a different set of expectations regarding Welsh culture,” he says. “We have brought in an almost entirely British, largely Welsh creative team. They have been incredibly generous, patient, and exacting. I asked them to challenge me, and they have.”

Central to this effort is Alexandria Wailes, the production’s artistic sign language director. Wailes is responsible for sculpting the sign language used in the show, ensuring it is both clear and aesthetically integrated. “In the same way a choreographer sculpts movement and a music director sculpts music, Alexandria sculpts sign language,” Pailet notes.

The production will feature BSL, Welsh BSL, and the Welsh language. Pailet is conscious of the complexities involved in presenting a trilingual performance. “Authenticity, accessibility, and clarity are not always the same thing. We are constantly balancing these elements to ensure the story remains accessible to all, regardless of whether someone speaks BSL, Welsh, or English.”

To achieve this, the entire production is creatively captioned. “We want the captions to feel essential, like they are part of the storytelling apparatus rather than an afterthought,” Pailet explains. “We are designing the production so that the visual experience – the staging, lighting, and sign language – conveys the emotional information that music typically carries for hearing audiences.”

Pailet believes that the evolution of the show reflects a broader shift in theatre, where audiences are increasingly open to diverse storytelling methods. “I think audiences are realising there are multiple, equally valid ways to tell stories. My collaborators and I are committed to presenting three-dimensional characters who are as flawed, complex, and human as anyone else.”

As the production heads through auditions, the focus remains on finding a cast that can embody these complexities. “We are looking for performers who can bring this story to life with authenticity. It is a show about a group of people who are not meant to go it alone, and I hope it fills the audience’s hearts as much as it has mine,” Pailet concludes.

Private Jones runs at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 14 December 2026 to 30 January 2027. A casting announcement is due very, very soon.

The show has music direction by Máth Roberts, choreography by Misha Shields, sound design by Yvonne Gilbert, video design by Ben Glover, lighting design by Tim Deiling, associate director Alice Eklund, casting direction by Rob Kelly and production management by Sam Kelly. Private Jones is produced by Hugo Six in association with Thomas Hopkins Productions.