Fuel in association with Stratford Arts Centre presents Gyre & Gimble’s The Hartlepool Monkey at the Connaught Theatre, Friday 27th October. The show is based on the legend of a monkey who was hanged as a French spy, and has been brought to life through clever puppetry in a timely tale exploring xenophobia.
There will also be a special free puppetry workshop at 10.30am-11.30am on the day of the performance for ticket holders only. These must be booked in advance in person or over the phone to box office and places are strictly limited on a first come first served basis.
The puppeteers who brought War Horse to life and who co-designed the Lorax for the Old Vic production introduce Napoleon, the anarchic chimpanzee who is put on trial on suspicion of being a French spy. Based on the 200-year-old legend, The Hartlepool Monkey tells the story of a ship wrecked off the Hartlepool coast with just two survivors: the cabin girl and the ship’s mascot, a chimpanzee in military uniform. Terrified of French invasion and unfamiliar with what a Frenchman should look like, the locals put the monkey on trial as a spy with grisly consequence. At a time when Britain is examining its own tolerance and acceptance of newcomers, The Hartlepool Monkey is a timely production about the irrationality of xenophobia whilst celebrating humanity’s ability to overcome prejudice.
Gyre & Gimble was founded by Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié, who met on War Horse and went on to become associate puppetry directors of the show. They place puppetry at the heart of storytelling, creating compelling characters to lead audiences through fantastical stories and expand expectations of what puppetry is capable of. Following War Horse, they co-directed The Elephantom, which transferred to the West End, and have since created puppetry for Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild, new musical The Grinning Man, and Dr Seuss’s The Lorax which returns to the Old Vic in October.
Toby Olié and Finn Caldwell said, “We’re very excited to be bringing this story to audiences of all ages, all over the UK. Initially attracted to the tale of The Hartlepool Monkey as it placed an animal at the centre of the narrative, we’ve since become excited about the myth from 19th Century being able to connect to the world today, in particular recent issues of insularity, xenophobia and inclusion. Our chimp we’ve created promises to be a striking new style of puppet for us and we’re assembling a multi-talented cast to bring this playful, anarchic and touching tale to life.”
Tickets are priced at £14.50 and are available from the Worthing Theatres box office on 01903 206 206 and online at worthingtheatres.co.uk.
