Private Jones, a new musical that takes place during the First World War, will have its European premiere at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant in December.
The musical follows Gomer Jones, who feels isolated from society after he loses his hearing. Within a group of misfit young men, he becomes a hero, but discovers the reward he has been working for might not be the one that matters.
The show will combine sign language and live captioning with an original score and a Foley soundscape. The cast has not been announced, but it is expected to feature hearing, hard-of-hearing and deaf performers.
It is written and directed by Marshall Pailet, and features choreography by Misha Shields. Alexandria Wailes will provide artistic sign language direction, while Anna Kelsey is the set designer.
Private Jones has been in development since 2021, and was first performed in October 2023 in Chester, Connecticut at Goodspeed Musicals. In February 2024, the show had its world premiere in Arlington, Virgina. It won four Helen Hayes Awards, including one for Outstanding New Musical. Since then, it has been reworked and workshopped with the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Writer and director Marshall Pailet said: “Private Jones is a full-hearted, heart-pounding, and hopefully pretty funny story about valuing life inside a world where lives are stripped for value. It has been the joy of my life to collaborate with so many talented and passionate artists in its creation, especially Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Welsh-speaking artists, in the attempt to create a storytelling that feels authentic in its use of language and representation of culture, and one that is fully accessible to all audiences.
“Every time I spend time with it, it fills my heart, breaks it a little bit, then puts it back together stronger. I hope you love it as much as I do. And if you don’t, please tell my bubby you loved it, I’m still trying to convince her I can do this for a living.”
Private Jones will be performed at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 14 December 2026 to 30 January 2027.
Words by Ellen Leslie