theatre
Topsy
Here Theatre presents 2007 R.E. Ross Trust Award Winner
The elephant in the room speaks at last.
She was a ten foot high Indian Elephant and was one of the biggest attractions at Coney Island’s Luna Park. She was used and cruelly abused and, in the end, she was deemed a killer and condemned to death. They wanted to hang her. They tried to poison her and then, in front of 1500 witnesses, she was electrocuted and killed. From 1 – 11 July 2010, Here Theatre and fortyfive downstairs proudly present the story of TOPSY, by Award-Winning writer Kit Lazaroo.
The Play:
Three Australian tourists arrive on Coney Island in the early 20th Century, determined to rescue TOPSY, the notorious rogue elephant condemned to die in an electrical experiment devised by Thomas Edison. Vasco, the elephant’s keeper, fleeces them of their savings. While they wait in a seedy hotel their desires, vanities and fears implode in the weird world of the Edwardian funfair. Brought to you by award-winning Here Theatre, TOPSY employs comedy, song, fable and whimsy, to tell a disturbing tale of human cruelty.
Written by Kit Lazaroo
Directed by Jane Woollard
Lighting design by Bronwyn Pringle
Design by Amanda Johnson
Music by Gavin Gray
Featuring: Georgina Capper, Colin James, Carole Patullo and Alex Pinder
