''Operation Elvis'' by C.P. Taylor is a

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

for children, first produced by the Live Theatre Company in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is a ...

in 1978. Taylor worked as a drama teacher at Morpeth’s Northgate Hospital, and used it as the main setting for the play. Critics have noted that, in keeping with his other works for children, ''Operation Elvis'' is notable for its engagement with complex social issues such as disability, being “written from the unsentimental standpoint that children's relationships are as complicated as those of adults.” The original cast included Tim Healy, Max Roberts, Denise Bryson and Brian Hogg, and the production was directed by Teddy Kiendl. The play has become a classic of Theatre for Young Audiences, revived by

TAG Theatre Company {{Unreferenced, date=June 2008 TAG Theatre Company is a theatre company established in 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland as the outreach arm of the Citizens' Theatre in Glasgow, and was known as the Citizens' Theatre for Youth. Background It is the long ...

, the Royal Shakespeare Company at the

Almeida Theatre The Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325-seat producing house with an international reputation, which takes its name from the street on which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a di ...

, M6 Theatre, Bruvvers, the

Tricycle Theatre The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as n ...

with

Kevin Whately Kevin Whately (born 6 February 1951) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Neville "Nev" Hope in the British comedy drama '' Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'', Robert "Robbie" Lewis in the crime dramas '' Inspector Morse'' 1987–2000 a ...

as Malcolm, and the

Byre Theatre The Byre Theatre is a theatre in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was founded in 1933 by Charles Marford, an actor (found in the ''Who's Who'' of 1921) and Alexander B. Paterson, a local journalist and playwright, with help from a theatre group m ...

as part of the 1992

Edinburgh International Festival The Edinburgh International Festival is an annual arts festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, spread over the final three weeks in August. Notable figures from the international world of music (especially classical music) and the performing arts are ...

. It was filmed with the original cast by BBC North East in 1980, recorded for radio by BBC Scotland in 1982, and has been slated for film adaptation. Tim Healy described Malcolm as his favourite stage role: “We did 90 performances in eight weeks. We’d go to a school, unload the van, put the set up, do the play, knock it down and onto the next school... and they were the happiest days of my life.”Interview in ''Rochdale Style'', December 2012, p.7.

Plot overview

Ten-year-old schoolboy Malcolm is convinced that he is the reincarnation of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

and loves to sing his greatest hits and dress like the King. His mother, her boyfriend, and his teacher Mr Green are becoming increasingly exasperated with his odd behaviour, and only Jackie, a local pigeon-fancier, seems to understand him. Malcolm decides to run away from home, hoping to find his way to Elvis’ home in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 Uni ...

. He ends up 15 miles away in Morpeth in

Northumberland Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Ab ...

, where he meets Michael, a boy with severe brain damage who cannot speak, and his carer, Lynn. Despite their differences, Malcolm and Michael strike up a friendship. Malcolm realises that Michael wants to go sailing on a local lake, but they cannot work out how to get his wheelchair into a boat, and the Sister at Michael’s hospital refuses to allow it. Secretly, Jackie and Lynn help the boys build a special harness to lift Michael from the dock into a boat. Malcolm realises that he no longer needs to pretend to be Elvis and they set off across the water.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Operation Elvis 1978 plays British plays