The European premiere of Australian playwright Tom Wright’s acclaimed play imagines an alternative. This is the story of a man fighting for his right to be and to belong.
Arriving from his East Midlands beginnings in a London thick with the grime of industrialisation, Joseph Merrick is an anomaly. In a city of factories that churn out uniformity, there is no place for a unique being like him. But Merrick and the city are evolving into something new. We follow him through the workhouse, the freakshow and hospital as he searches for acceptance in a society that just wants to stare at him.
Powerful, angry and surprising – The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man questions industrialisation, capitalism, disability and difference, finally putting Joseph at the centre of his own story.
Director Stephen Bailey is the winner of The RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2022. Zak Ford-Williams’ previous work here includes Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, and BBC1 drama Better.
Cast
Creatives
“DYNAMIC and UTTERLY MESMERISING. Prepare to have your senses wowed”5 rating
“A POWERFUL piece of theatre”4 rating
“A landmark event in British Theatre. A BREATHTAKING ACCOMPLISHMENT. Zak Ford-Williams as Joseph Merrick was SIMPLY SUBLIME. A touch of MAGIC”
“STYLISH, ATMOSPHERIC - BRILLIANT PERFORMANCES”
“An ASTONISHING performance from Ford-Williams”
Production Photography (by Marc Brenner)
Rehearsal Trailer
Access
We provide British Sign Language Interpretation, Captioning and Audio Description for this production.
Every performance was captioned and performances from 20 September were audio described.
Every performance of The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man was presented in a relaxed environment, which means that audience members are able to exit and re-enter the auditorium during the performance if they need to and there is a relaxed attitude to noise so that audience members can respond to the show in whatever way feels natural. Please note that these are not fully relaxed performances and house lights may be dimmed in the auditorium.
Everyone is welcome to attend accessible performances, customers experience the full show including the accessible services.
Find out more about Access at Nottingham Playhouse here.
Inside the Rehearsal Room
First Day of Rehearsals
Want to know more about the life of Joseph Merrick? Here's a timeline of his life, and how his story has been portrayed on stage and screen.
Behind the scenes at the poster photoshoot
Accessible Flyers
