The Vanishing Elephant coming to Oxford Playhouse this June

A show inspired by an illusion Harry Houdini performed in 1918 will come to the stage in Oxford this summer.

The Vanishing Elephant, produced by Northern Irish theatre company Cahoots, will run at Oxford Playhouse from June 11 to June 14.

Written by Charles Way and directed by Cahoots’ artistic director, Paul Bosco McEneaney, the production draws inspiration from Houdini’s famed act in which he made a five-tonne elephant disappear on stage in New York.

The Vanishing Elephant (Image: Gorgeous Photography) The Vanishing Elephant (Image: Gorgeous Photography) Mr McEneaney said: “The story of The Vanishing Elephant is about the challenge of displacement, and, ultimately, the power of kindness.

“In our production, we follow Janu, a majestic Asian elephant, as she befriends a young boy, Opu, in her home of India, from where she is taken.”

The play imagines the life of the elephant before the illusion, tracing her journey from India to the United States.

The Vanishing Elephant (Image: Gorgeous Photography) The Vanishing Elephant (Image: Gorgeous Photography) Mr McEneaney said: “We see Janu facing challenges that will resonate across the globe today, as she is forced to leave her home.

“Her strength of character shines and her friendship with Opu leads to a very special moment at the end of the story, which we hope resonates with young audience members and families across the globe.”

The Vanishing Elephant opened off-Broadway in the New Victory Theater in New York, featuring life-size puppetry by Helen Foan and an international cast.

Tickets start from £14.