The Dog and the Elephant at the Bristol Old Vic 3rd - 6th February
Posted on: 19 Jan 2016The Dog and the Elephant will be performed at the Bristol Old Vic from the 3rd to the 6th February. Returning to the theatre this year, the tale is inspired by the truth behind a local legend.
Starting its life as a product of Ferment Fortnight, the Cuckoo Collective’s The Dog And The Elephant is set to storm the stage of the Old Vic as a full scale production for the first time. The Ferment programme was instrumental in the creation of this play, so the Bristol Old Vic is something of a home to the play and is undoubtedly the best venue to see it performed.
A story of an unlikely kinship between Bendigo Barlow, a young boxer, and Ina, an elephant from Bostock and Wombwell's Travelling Menagerie, The Dog and the Elephant introduces us to the brutal world of Victorian bare-knuckle boxing, where Bendigo's struggle to live with Tourette's syndrome is made all the more difficult by fear and ignorance as he is violently shunned by those who simply don't understand.
Combining physical theatre with immersive soundscapes, actor Jack Johns (Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate) captures the volatile and dangerous spirit of Bendigo, as he searches for unconditional acceptance in the most exceptional of places. Disregarded and rejected by his family, Bendigo must fight to maintain his humanity in a society that has labelled him a monster.
For Bristol born writer and director Matt Grinter, Ina's story has been ruminating in his mind since childhood: "I grew up in Warmley, just outside of Kingswood on the edge of Bristol. It's a tiny little mining village and, growing up, I thought it was as unremarkable as everyone else finds their hometown. The local legend that an elephant was buried in the graveyard of a church round the corner totally fascinated me; the fact that something so exotic, so foreign, so curious could have ended its days in my sleepy, grey little village in the South West of England was mind blowing." Matt and Jack researched Ina, and found more than folklore; they found inspiration for a story close to home - a fictional account of the magical world of the travelling menagerie.
Recently snapped up following a performance in London, filmmakers Found Studio have been developing a short film version of the play that will be released this Spring. Meanwhile, this visceral one man performance will be brought to life with stunning immediacy at Bristol Old Vic Studio this February; about the impact of loneliness, about belonging and about home, The Dog and the Elephant explores the truly extraordinary that lies behind the most ordinary.
To buy tickets for the performance, click here to visit the Bristol Old Vic website.
Article by:
Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.
