The Blue Elephant Theatre

A significant contribution to the centenary year was made by the Blue Elephant Theatre in south east London. With three evenings devoted to Mervyn Peake's plays and poems, they came up with rehearsed readings of two of the plays; Mr Loftus and Noah's Ark and a particularly moving evening devoted to some of the poems.

There were many readings (of the poems) that held the attention of the packed house, but one or two had about them that extra quality which emanates from a true understanding and sympathy with the words. Two such were Rhondda Valley and To Live at all is Miracle Enough whose homage to the Welsh miner in the former, and fundamental wisdom in the philosophical observation of the latter, reduced some members of the audience to tears. The theatre is to be congratulated on it's marvellous work in bringing to the public's attention two lesser-known areas from the multi-talented writer and artist's life.

The theatre let it be known at the end of the very successful mini-season, that they would be very interested in taking to full production, either the plays, the poems or both. Perhaps if any fan of the work reading this, who just happens to run a theatre and would like to stage either, would step forward, I'm sure the Blue Elephant Theatre would be delighted.