The Elephant Man (play)

The Elephant Man
Written by	Bernard Pomerance
Characters	Joseph Merrick Frederick Treves Mrs. Kendal Carr Gomm Orderly Pinhead Cellist
Date premiered	19 April 1979
Place premiered	Booth Theatre New York City, New York
Original language	English
Genre	Drama, tragedy
Setting	Late 19th century; London, England

The Elephant Man is a 1977 play by Bernard Pomerance. The production's Broadway debut in 1979 was produced by Richmond Crinkley and Nelle Nugent, and directed by Jack Hofsiss. The play closed in 1981 after eight previews and 916 regular performances. Prior to its Broadway production, the play was introduced at the Hampstead Theatre in London, later playing in repertory at the National Theatre in London. It ran Off-Broadway from January 14-March 18, 1979, at the York Theatre at St. Peter's.

The story is based on the life of Joseph Merrick, referred to in the script as John Merrick, who lived in the Victorian era and is known for the extreme deformity of his body. The lead role of Merrick was originated by David Schofield in a definitive performance. Subsequent productions starred actors such as Philip Anglim, David Bowie, Mark Hamill, Bruce Davison, and Bradley Cooper.

The play calls for no prosthetic makeup on the actor portraying Merrick; the actor portrays Merrick's deformity through physicality, letting the audience imagine Merrick's appearance.

The Elephant Man opens with Frederick Treves, an up-and-coming surgeon, meeting his new employer Carr-Gomm, the administrator of the London Hospital.

Ross, the manager of a freak show, invites a crowd on Whitechapel Road to come view John Merrick, the Elephant Man. Treves happens upon the freak show and is intrigued by Merrick's disorder. He insists that he must study Merrick further; Ross agrees, for a fee. Treves then gives a lecture on Merrick's anatomy, making Merrick stand on display while Treves describes his condition to the audience.

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