Anoushka Lucas in Elephant [Manuel Harlan]

ORIGINALLY commissioned and developed by the Bush Theatre, Anoushka Lucas’s acclaimed one-woman show Elephant arrives at the Menier in an extended version.

Part gig, part musical love story, the show follows Lylah, a young woman from a mixed-race background, as she reflects on growing up in a council house in Britain and trying to make it in the music industry.

She learns piano from an early age and strives to be good at school so as not to lose her scholarship. But she’s always conscious of her difference.

As an adult, Lylah’s singing career takes off and she begins a romance with fellow musician Leo. A visit to his parents’ home, however, raises some uncomfortable questions about identity, privilege, and belonging.

At the same time, Lylah begins to interrogate the origins of her beloved piano – its mahogany case and ivory keys – the colonial implications of these materials, and the elephants killed for their tusks. This leads her to explore her Cameroonian heritage, her family history and how her sense of otherness has shaped her.

Lucas exudes charm. Jess Edwards’s immersive production is simply but effectively staged in-the-round (set by Georgia Wilmot). Every time Lucas sits down to play or sing, the stage slowly revolves, ensuring we don’t miss a beat of her performance.

Georgia Wilmot’s lighting and Gillian Tan’s video design add texture and shade to this intimate, eloquent production.

Until June 28
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