by Anoushka Lucas
"The men with the Piano look up the narrow staircase of our little flat and they turn to Dad, light their fags, and say; “We might have to take the windows out".
A piano came through the sky and landed in Lylah's council flat, just for her. As she pores over the keys and sound floods into all the rooms, Lylah falls in love.
At school, Lylah can't ask questions – she's got to be good, good, good or else she'll lose her scholarship. At home she can't ask questions; her cousins say she talks weird, and her parents are distracted. So she asks her piano: Where did you come from? Why are you here? And their shared history tumbles into the light.
Part gig, part musical love story, part journey through Empire, this all-new expanded production of Olivier Award nominee Anoushka Lucas' “exquisite” (Evening Standard) Elephant transferred to the Bush Theatre's main house. This revised and expanded edition of the play accompanies the new 2023 production.
Every purchase you make from the National Theatre Bookshop helps fund the vital work of The National Theatre. Whether that's putting new work on stages across the world or supporting our outreach and learning programmes, every purchase you make really does make a difference.
