The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man

Joseph Merrick, better known as the Elephant Man, is cast out. He survived circus ‘freak shows’ and the revulsion of a gawking public for years until a young doctor offered him asylum at the London Hospital in 1879.

So began a life of endless observation. But curiosity works both ways, and Merrick returned the horrified gaze of Victorian punters and nurses with wonder and optimism.

This story has inspired multiple theatrical adaptations, novels and a film by David Lynch. Now the team behind Malthouse Theatre’s Picnic at Hanging Rock, director Matthew Lutton and playwright Tom Wright, reunite to create a poignant new work that uncovers empathy in a world that rejects difference.

The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man will span across Joseph Merrick’s life, from birth to death, weaving through the bustling streets of London, the incurables ward of the city’s Hospital and the theatrics of the English public arena. The Real and Imagined History of the Elephant Man is a remarkable tale of a city negotiating the discovery of a 'new man'.

★★★★½
"SUPERB. EVERYONE SHOULD BE MOVED BY SUCH POETIC AND ACCOMPLISHED THEATRE"
— The Age

"[AN] EXTRAORDINARILY ACCOMPLISHED AND REWARDING PRODUCTION"
— The Australian