Magical drama from India to Indiana inspired by the true story of magician Harry Houdini
The Vanishing Elephant
at Oxford Playhouse
from June 11 to 14
Review by JON LEWIS
Magical Drama from India to Indiana
Paul McEneaney’s intensely beautiful Cahoots production of Charles Way’s play The Vanishing Elephant is inspired by the true story of magician Harry Houdini making an elephant disappear in New York in 1918. It’s the story of a life-long kinship between Opu (Adi Chugh) the son of a middle-class Bengali couple and Janu, the calf elephant he befriends when he is a young boy. Like the National Theatre production of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse, there are Impressively effective life-size puppets. Janu is seen at different stages of her life, and later in the narrative, there’s a supremely malevolent tiger (puppet designer, Helen Foan).
McEneaney is probably best known in Oxford for his illusions in early Creation Theatre productions. Twenty years on, he is still pulling magical theatrical scenes out of the proverbial black hat. The staging is simultaneously simple and spectacular. McEneaney also ensures that the interactions of humans and puppets pack an emotional punch.
The narrative begins in the middle of the 19th century when Opu is entranced by a baby elephant emerging from a wooden crate. He demonstrates to the experienced mahout, an elephant trainer (Madhav Vasantha), that Janu can be trained without the cruel use of a hooked stick. Later, a visiting American circus owner’s daughter Carole (Maeve Smyth) notices Janu’s obedience and buys her from her owner, promising Opu that she will be treated humanely. She transports Janu by ship to New York, renames her Jennie, and makes her the star turn in the travelling circus.
The poor African-American elephant keeper, Jarret (Terrence Fleming) knows that his position in the circus is precarious and for Jennie to learn her routines, he needs to beat her into submission. This violence that eventually sickens Carole.
The sounds and tunes of India are superbly evoked in a score by Aoife Kavanagh and MD Pallavi whilst Sabine Dargent’s versatile set thrillingly brings to life a train with boxcars travelling across arid plains.
The play ends with a heart-wrenching reunion between Opu and Janu at Houdini’s vanishing act in New York. This is a must-see production. Just bring a box of hankies.
