Private Peaceful and An Elephant in the Garden to run online from The Barn Theatre

The Barn Theatre has announced two new digital productions for the Spring.

Two Michael Morpurgo classics will come to the online stage in April and May.

Running 2 to 18 April be An Elephant in the Garden.

Following its 2020 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania performances and successful UK Tours from 2014-2019 – including runs at Bristol Old Vic and Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe – Poonamallee Productions brings their admired production of Michael Morpurgo’s An Elephant in the Garden to the digital stage for the very first time in collaboration with the Barn Theatre.

Adapted and directed by Simon Reade. and starring Alison Reid, the production follows Lizzie, her mother – and an elephant from the zoo known as Marlene as they flee the Allied fire-bombing in the endgame of the Second World War.

Running 19 April to 2 May will be Private Peaceful.

Private Peaceful tells the story of Private Tommo Peaceful, who looks back on his Devon upbringing, his romance with childhood sweetheart, Molly and the terrible events that saw him taken from this idyllic setting and into the horrors of war.

BoxLess Theatre’s two-hander staging of Private Peaceful first opened as part of the Barn Theatre’s outdoor theatre festival, BarnFest, in August 2020. It then transferred to the Barn Theatre’s main auditorium in September, reopening the theatre for the first time since the first National Lockdown.

Following the run in Cirencester, the production transferred to the play’s original home, the Bristol Old Vic, for a successful run and marked the first production to reintroduce the original ending from the acclaimed novel to the stage adaptation.

Private Peaceful was scheduled to transfer to the West End in November 2020, however due to the second National Lockdown this run will now be an international digital run. The Barn Theatre are thrilled to be able to present the production to audiences that missed out on this opportunity.

Private Tommo is played by Emily Costello, the first female performer to play Tommo professionally in a performance that was described by Michael Morpurgo as “extraordinary.” James Demaine plays Charlie and various other roles.

Private Peaceful originally produced at the Barn Theatre with co-producers MZG Theatre Productions is adapted by Simon Reade and directed by Alexander Knott. Zöe Grain is associate director and movement director with composition by James Demaine. Sound design is by Harry Smith and lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner.

The Barn Theatre are thrilled to be partnering with the Belgrade Theatre, Exeter Northcott Theatre, and Lawrence Batley Theatre on these digital productions.

Tickets are available at just £13.50 each, or for a limited time offer of £20 for both, running from 22nd March – 28th March. If a ticket for either show is bought within this time, the customer will receive a code to discount the purchase of a ticket for the other production. Tickets can be purchased at barntheatre.org.uk/barn-at-home.