Blue Elephant Theatre

The Blue Elephant Theatre is a small fringe theatre in Southwark, London. It opened in 1999 under Antonio Ribeiro’s leadership. The space seats only fifty, yet it has become known for bold, experimental work. Its programme mixes dance, new writing and classics across the arts. The theatre’s focus is on developing new and emerging artists. Notable names have come through its doors. Mamoru Iriguchi won a design award in 2009. Levantes Dance Theatre took the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award that same year. George Mann earned an Offie for best solo performer, while Paul Morris received an Adopt A Playwright award. The theatre also staged world premieres of forgotten plays by Mervyn Peake. Visitors find a compact but lively venue. It has hosted talks, rehearsed readings and full productions. Recent seasons included Peake’s Boy in Darkness, adapted and performed by Gareth Murphy. In 2014, eleven young performers from the theatre joined Gareth Malone’s Children in Need choir. The single reached number one on the UK charts.