40 Elephants, Barnfield Theatre Exeter 22 February 2024 and tour.

4✩✩✩✩ Review: Cormac Richards.

“Wonderfully refreshing and chock full of entertainment.”

There is something extremely heartening in watching a brand new theatre company take to the stage for the first time with a brand new show. Devon-based Stowaway Theatre have taken that first big step and have done so with a sharp and engaging production about a subject matter which is ripe pickings for the stage.

‘40 Elephants’ is written by Lizi Bennett and based on the all-female crime syndicate of the 1920s whose determination to succeed in a male-dominated world, lead them to make the most of their lives whether it be through crime or no. A story, fairly buried in the mists of time, it is wonderful to have it uncovered and brought to life again as a show with songs and music; short vignettes about the lives of the gang combine to form an episodic telling. The six performers are multi-talented; combining their skills as actors, singers and musicians throughout which makes for great entertainment. The presentation takes some influences from the work of Bertolt Brecht and the music, at times, has a Kurt Weill twang to it. Multiple theatrical techniques are used throughout; pantomime singalongs, silhouette narrative, mime…. all add to the fresh and vibrant nature of the show.

The show flows along at a great pace and there is a super mixture of wry humour and darkness – the sequence of the abusive husband and the consequences is brilliantly realised with musical punctuation. Director Lucy Betts keeps the action tight and uses her performers in a wonderfully fluid way as one scene glides into next throughout. You can’t want to see better ensemble work than you see in 40 Elephants; Elisabeth Burnette, Joanna Brown, Aidan Casey, Jon Dyer, Ava Ralph and Evie Joy Wright all shine.

Unfortunately the acoustics of the Barnfield Theatre are not great and the attempts to encourage the audience to sing along do not succeed as it is difficult to hear all the words –without a repetitive line or a songsheet it doesn’t work – the signs used during the show to headline the segments of the story do work well. The clarity of the lines is so vital as the songs are part of the story and that becomes tricky to follow when they are not heard – a stronger spoken narrative might help to augment the songs.

At the end of the show the audience is told that the Company wish to develop the work further and I would heartily encourage them to do so. I am guessing there is more material to investigate and I am sure there is a full-length show here which, with some refinement and further content would have enormous potential. As it is, this is a highly entertaining piece of theatre which you certainly can’t pigeonhole and which is full of talent and potential. Bringing a new Company and show in front of audiences is no mean feat and Producer, Marina O’Shea, deserves much praise.

Keep your eyes open for Stowaway Theatre, their approach to performance is wonderfully refreshing and chock full of entertainment.

Cast

Elisabeth Burnette

Joanna Brown

Aidan Casey

Jon Dyer

Ava Ralph

Evie Joy Wright

Creatives

Writer – Lizi Bennett

Director – Lucy Betts

Producer – Marina O’Shea

Image - Stowaway Theatre

A Stowaway Theatre Production