An Elephant in the Garden

Beautiful storytelling in action...stunningly performed by Alison Reid

THE GUARDIAN

AN ELEPHANT IN THE GARDEN

by

MICHAEL MORPURGO

adapted & directed by Simon Reade

performed by Alison Reid

This is a poignant, imaginative production that is both thought provoking, entertaining and totally engaging

BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

....discover the magic that only live theatre can offer

24/7

click here to watch the trailer

Edinburgh Festival 2018 **** (nominated for THEATRICAL EXCELLENCE - The Infallibles)

online ONCOMM nomination 2021

NOW PLAYING AT

THE BARN THEATRE

click here to see Michael Morpurgo's reaction to the show!

CIRENCESTER

31 AUG - 11 SEPT

Click here to watch a Q&A session

with

Michael Morpurgo - author

Simon Reade - director/adapter

and

★★★★

"An Elephant in the Garden – a tale that will never be forgotten"

and then back in

BRISTOL

at

THE TOBACCO FACTORY THEATRE

24th-25th September

★★★★

"Michael Morpurgo’s story of a family fleeing Dresden in 1945 resonates today, animated by Alison Reid’s uncanny acting"

THE OBSERVER

★★★★

'A consummate performance'

THE STAGE

★★★★★

'A superb adaptation with a dazzling one-woman performance'

BEYOND THE CURTAIN

★★★★

'A mesmerising and sensitive piece of theatre'

LOVE LONDON CULTURE

★★★★

'A compelling and heartening production.'

FROM PAGE TO STAGE

★★★★

'This story will touch your heart and make you laugh.'

FLOWERS CROWNS AND REVOLUTIONARIES

★★★★

‘Thought-provoking storytelling at its best.’

THE WEE REVIEW

★★★★

‘Thought-provoking, engaging and utterly plausible … combines simplicity with beautiful storytelling, which will have you captivated – its final scene moved me to goosebumps with its conclusion that our protagonists will live happily ever after.’

THE LIST

‘Commanding a stage all by yourself, and never letting go of the hold you have over your audience is no mean feat. But Reid takes us by the hand to war-torn Germany and back with such assurance, there’s never any question of her losing us.’

EDINBURGH FRINGE 2018

"the play is fantastically performed and Alison Reid deserves full credit for invoking the audience’s imagination and transporting them back to a war-torn Germany"
Exeter Express & Echo

Since 2015 we have toured to....

The Barn Theatre, Cirencester

Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Byham Theatre, Pittsburgh USA 2020

CBS Pittsburgh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHN8t7gnMkc

Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre 2018/2019

Northcott Theatre, Exeter

Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol 2015/2018

Vault Festival, London

the egg, Bath Theatre Royal

Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds

Bristol Old Vic Studio

Aberystwyth Arts Centre

Plough Arts Centre

Theatre Royal, Winchester

Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton

Forum Theatre, Malvern

Corn Exchange, Newbury

Pavillion Arts Centre, Buxton

The Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster

Exeter Phoenix Theatre

Lincoln Performing Arts Centre

Pegasus Theatre, Oxford

Old Town Hall Arts Centre, Hemel Hempstead

Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis

1532 Performing Arts Centre, Bristol

The Corn Exchange, Dorchester

Strike-A-light Theatre Festival, Gloucester

Broadway Theatre, Letchworth

Rhodes Arts Complex, Bishop's Stortford

Wilde Theatre, South Hill Arts Centre, Bracknell

Alison Reid has worked extensively as an actress at the RSC, for Filter Theatre, at Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres and at the National Theatre where she premiered Michael Morpurgo's JoJo The Melon Donkey.

She regularly performs with Michael in

The Mozart Question.

DESIGNER MAX JOHNS
LIGHTING MATTHEW GRAHAM

COSTUMES ELIZABETH DE-TISI

SOUND JASON BARNES

PRESS

"...the play is fantastically performed and Alison Reid deserves full credit for invoking the audience’s imagination and transporting them back to a war-torn Germany"
Exeter Express & Echo

"This is masterful storytelling by all concerned and a gem of a standout performance"
StageTalk Magazine

"...with the aid of just a handful of props and a beautifully judged sound and light scheme, Reid conjures up a plethora of interacting characters. In a bravura performance, she populates the stage with Canadian airmen and German farmers, each with their own distinct personality and presence. At times she even gives us a very believable elephant.

Meanwhile, she also keeps the story going at a pace fast enough to grip even the younger and more distractable audience members. At a little over an hour, An Elephant in the Garden is just the right length to engage its youthful target audience. It's also a perfect opportunity for them to discover the magic that only live theatre can offer: the ability to suspend disbelief and allow an actor to play on your imagination, conjuring up worlds out of thin air."
Bristol 24/7

"In this impressive solo performance, Alison Reid is simply superb as she brings all of these characters to life in a true master acting class that demands our admiration.

She seemingly effortlessly creates the individuals that she meets on this endless journey, each one carefully portrayed with appropriate accents and physicality including Peter, a Canadian navigator who was shot down, as well as a group of choirboys who are on the run and the Countess who protects them all from the Nazis.

Not forgetting the plodding, obstinate, dogged four-year-old elephant Marlene who epitomises the very determination of the human spirit to survive despite all the odds.

Although a play for children, this is very much a story of the horrors and pain of war and love and does not shy away from these issues.

It also is a story of our present time with homeless, starving refugees seeking a new life and walls being built and politics and politicians determined to keep them out and yet there is dogged hope that all will in the end be well.

It is astutely directed by Simon Reade, with a simple set comprising a circular floor cloth in the centre of the stage and a crumbling wall designed by Max Johns.

Mathew Graham’s ever-changing lighting helps to create the various scenes and Jason Barnes’s subtle sound design creates a vibrant atmosphere.

This is a poignant, imaginative production that is both thought provoking, entertaining and totally engaging."

BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE

“Beautiful storytelling in action can be found in Poonamallee Production’s play of Michael Morpurgo’s An Elephant in the Garden, adapted and directed by Simon Reade and stunningly performed by Alison Reid.” The Guardian

Michael Morpurgo is the multi-award winning author of well over 100 books including War Horse, Private Peaceful and Kensuke’s Kingdom.