Without human intervention, how do elephants die? Good Old Neon’s new play Dead Elephants ponders this and much more while exploring themes of death and grief. Written and directed by Co-Artistic Directors Alexander Offord and Nicole Wilson, Dead Elephants delves into these difficult themes through the lens of these magnificent creatures who mourn and grieve their dead as we do. Using well-known elephants and deeply personal stories, Dead Elephants tugs at your heartstrings with each storyline.
Dead Elephants has three main story threads which truthfully could each function as their own one-act plays. In one, they discuss elephants whose deaths made headlines: Topsy from Coney Island who was killed after someone from the carnival was crushed, and the elephants at the Paris Zoo who were fed to the rich during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. In another, a couple has tragically lost their child, and we watch as their relationship unravels and one of them transforms. The third story is about Jumbo, from PT Barnum’s circus who was hit by a train in St. Thomas, Ontario. The third story is told by a pigeon, who happened to witness the event atop a boxcar on the train. Throughout the production we jump from place to place and time to time as the threads of each story slowly weave themselves into one another.
It’s not so much that the plot of Dead Elephants is confusing, it’s more that even by intermission it’s hard to tell where the story is going. The pigeon’s story could easily be removed, or dramatically cut down, and have little effect on the rest of the story; he primarily talks about pigeons rather than elephants, and the performance had a totally different vibe than the other two stories. I truly think that all of those portions strung together could easily be it’s own solo show at Fringe and do marvellously. The stories about the famously deceased elephants and the bereaved mother turning into an elephant worked well together, but even they could be made a bit more concise and unified. As someone who adores elephants, I found the history of these famous pachyderms to be fascinating, and the Kafkaesque transformation all the more intriguing. I simply had the feeling throughout the production like I was watching two or three plays which had been all sewn into one.
Kris Van Soelen and Nicole Wilson’s set design instantly transports the audience to the centre ring at a circus; the iconic yellow and red triangles with the bare lightbulbs on top are a clear indication of where their inspiration has come from. The other sets being on the moving platforms is very well done; it allows for them to haul out the pieces as needed, while also being able to tuck them away in the corners of the room and use the full performance space.
Dead Elephants is told by three very talented actors whose performances shine just as brightly as the lightbulbs around the stage. Hayden Finkelshtain and Nicole Wilson are our guides throughout the play, and deliver outstanding performances. The emotional depths they reach as the grieving parents is astonishing and truly felt like the heart of the play. I also really liked the camaraderie and chemistry they had as they portrayed the French soldiers; the final scene of that plot line was a tear-jerker as well. However, Allan Cooke’s performance as the pigeon practically stole the show. His movements combined with his costuming so perfectly imitated those of a pigeon it was almost unnerving. I adored the grandiosity he endowed into this character, making him terrifying, verbose, and delightful.
Dead Elephants certainly wasn’t what I expected, rather it took me on an interesting and emotional journey through the lens of my favourite animal and our common relationship with death. Running now until March 17th at the Aki Studio Theatre, this is certainly an experience you won’t soon forget. For more information and tickets, visit: https://www.goodoldneon.ca/deadelephants
Cover photo: Hayden Finkelshtain and Nicole Wilson
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