Thieves in Satin opens Sunday 16th August at The Cockpit, preparing to explore the infamous crime syndicate The Forty Elephants through dance. Learn more about what you can expect:
1: What drew you to the story of the Forty Elephants?
I was drawn to this story because it has so many fascinating female characters which I knew would suit our female strong company. It’s also a little known true story set in London and I love the idea of the audience learning something from our past. The gang were operational from the 1890s to the 1950s so we had a 60 year time frame to choose from. The 1920s is where we pick up the story and has given us such a rich era in terms of fashion, music and dance styles.
2: Is there one character you found particularly challenging to portray or inspiring to portray?
The central character, Alice Diamond, is particularly inspirational. Born in a Lambeth workhouse, Alice went out stealing to feed her family as a young girl. She succeeded Mary Carr as leader of the all female Forty Elephants Gang (a splinter group of the male lead Elephant & Castle Mob). 6 ft tall ‘Diamond Alice’ as she was known due to her diamond rings that doubled as knuckle dusters, was a criminal mastermind. She was a formidable leader, forthright, yet fair. She did not stand for anything that went against ‘The Hoisters Code’, including unapproved boyfriends and husbands, drinking before a raid or the wearing of stolen clothing. She also made each member pay a bail fund so that members and their families were looked after should they get caught and have to serve time.
3: How do you tell a rich story without dialogue?
Unlike most dance productions, we use narration to help tell the story. There are eight scripted monologues written by Stuart Pallant, spread throughout the show. These are written in the voice of ‘Shirley Pitts’ whose character is played by Faye Barker. Shirley is re-telling the stories of her ‘aunty’ Alice and her friends and how she came to brush hands with them. Aside the narrations, each scene is a story within itself. These include shop raids, black mail, prison, riots and more! I would describe the piece as a play told through dance, movement, acting and narration.
4: How do the costumes, music and lighting affect the production?
The costumes are a feast for the eyes and are particularly relevant to the plot. The women dressed to fit in with the upper classes from whom they stole. The gang altered their clothing, adding secret pockets and wore voluminous bloomers in which to hide the stolen items. There are over fifty costumes between the cast of nine and numerous quick changes!
As choreographer, choosing the music is one of my favourite challenges. It is a rich compilation ranging from traditional Charlestons and Shirley Bassey to Post Modern Jukebox and Billy Eilish. Each piece of music has been chosen to fit the character and enhance the story telling.
the lighting really helps to elevate the mood throughout the show. It is the ‘magic’ ingredient which helps to bring it all together alongside the projections which provide a backdrop for each scene.
5: The show explores multiple themes. Which is most prevalent to the modern day?
Shoplifting is even more prevalent now than it was 100 years ago. In the 1920s shoplifters were predominantly female. Fur, silk and high end clothing were the most sought after. Today’s shoplifting entrepreneurs operate via massive sophisticated retail crime rings and target designer brands and high tech goods for the online markets. Much of these profits fuel the drugs trade. Crime syndicates in the 1920s were much smaller scale operations which were used to fund every day commodities, high fashion clothing and lavish parties.
6: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating Thieves in Satin?
I have loved researching the fascinating stories surrounding these fearless women. I have particularly enjoyed using the finer details, how they lived, dressed and stole, to create the characters and scenarios and then transform them into physical movement and choreography. Above all, we have had a huge amount of fun both in the rehearsal studio and on stage. Seeing the cast take on these characters, develop them and fully commit to the storytelling has been very gratifying. We hope our audiences have as much fun watching as we do performing it.
Thieves in Satin opens Sunday 16th August at The Cockpit. Many thanks Lucy Potter for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
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