By Michael Morpurgo
In an adaptation by Samuel Adamson
Produced by Regent’s Park Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre
For Will, going to Indonesia isn’t just another holiday with mum. It’s a new start, and the chance to ride an elephant called Oona.
But then the tsunami hit – and Oona charges into the jungle, with her young rider desperately clinging on.
Read reviews
Show all reviewsThe Daily Telegraph
"A WINNER. The puppetry is exquisite, with full-sized animals manipulated so they seem to breathe with documentary life. And as the sun goes down over Regent’s Park and Paul Anderson’s atmospheric lighting kicks in, THE MAGIC REALLY HITS YOU."
The Times
"A role-swapping, puppet-wielding cast…team together to offer vivid suggestions of both the danger and beauty of this tropical wilderness…
REMARKABLE by its INVENTIVE, EVOCATIVE STAGING."
CREATIVE TEAM
- Paul Anderson – Lighting Designer
- Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié for Gyre & Gimble – Puppetry Design and Direction
- Louise Anna Duggan – Music Director (Performance)
- Barbara Houseman – Season Associate Director (Voice & Text)
- Majella Hurley – Dialect Coach
- Oliver Kaderbhai – Assistant Director
- Georgina Lamb – Movement Director
- Nick Lidster – Sound Designer
- Verity Naughton – Ensemble Casting
- Rod Paton – Composer and Musical Director
- Nick Powell – Sound Score
- Jessica Ronane CDG – Casting Director
- Dale Rooks – Co-Director
- Tim Sheader – Director
- Paul Wills – Designer
CAST
- Stuart Angell – Mani the Orangutan
- Okorie Chukwu – Red Bandana / Mahout
- Laura Cubitt – Oona the Elephant
- Fred Davis – Tonk the Orangutan
- Joshua Fernandes – Will
- Joyce Henderson – Granny
- Hattie Ladbury – Mum / Geraldine
- John Leader – Oona the Elephant
- Eric Mallett – Grandad / Kaya
- Ira Mandela Siobhan – Dad / Hunter
- Sarah Mardel – Mani the Orangutan
- Tyler Osborne – Will
- Ava Potter – Lilly
- Ben Thompson – Oona the Elephant
- Stephen Ventura – Mr Anthony