Arriving from his East Midlands beginnings into a London thick with the grime of industrialization, Joseph Merrick is an anomaly. In a city of factories that churn out uniformity, there is no place for someone like him.

But Merrick and the city are evolving into something new. We follow him through the workhouse, the freak show and the hospital, as he searches for acceptance in a society that just wants to stare at him.

Powerful, angry and surprising, Tom Wright's acclaimed play imagines an alternative history of the person who came to be known as “the Elephant Man.” It restores Joseph Merrick to the centre of his own story: a man fighting for his right to be and to belong.

In addition to Merrick, it also features an incredible cast of mostly female characters in Joseph’s life – including a Ringmaster, a famous actress, and a dying woman, amongst many others.

When:

• Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
• Sunday, November 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM
• Friday, November 20, 2026 at 7:30 PM
• Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM
• Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 7:30 PM
• Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM

Where: The Addison Performing Arts Centre, Studio Theatre - 15650 Addison Rd, Addison, TX 75001

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By Tom Wright

Directed by Becca Johnson-Spinos

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