Camden Fringe: All-female Gang Legend Steal the Spotlight in ‘The Forty Elephants’

Image: Wellie Co. dance company'sThe Forty Elephants | Credit: Fiona Whyte Photography

Nine female performers electrify the stage in a dynamic fusion of jazz and contemporary dance forms, retelling the gritty yet glamorous history of The Forty Elephants — an all-female criminal syndicate that operated in London’s Elephant and Castle during the 1920s. Combining movement precision and theatrical flair, Eleanor Wilson (Artistic Director/Choreographer) and Tegan John (Associate Choreographer) successfully draw the audience into the world of this legendary gang.

Thoughtful use of stage pattern maintains visual interest, shifting between solos, duets, and tight ensembles. Seven black boxes of two heights become multi-purpose props: an elevated platform, angled pathways, or shaded corners where gang members “lie low” between jobs. These boxes also subtly anchor the work in the dense clusters of working-class housing where the gang thrived. The attire is immediately evocative of the period: black/grey waistcoats over crisp white shirts, formal trousers and sturdy black boots. This early 20th-century masculinity hints at the gang’s close association with the male-run Elephant and Castle Gang, while the silver hand jewellery is a possible nod to stolen treasures. The blend of toughness and adornment reflects their modus operandi: a ruthless operation disguised in luxurious fashion led by Alice Diamond (Juls Morlans).

Jazz dance proves an inspired choice for narration. Its confident postures, syncopated rhythms, and driving energy echo the pride, bravado, and solidarity of The Forty Elephants. Familiar jazz dance elements are delivered with sharp accuracy: high kicks radiate power, clicking hand gestures punctuate the beat. Finger snaps keep time, while open jazz hands evoke the triumph of the heists. Teamwork shines as the nine dancers form a single-file line, their movements reminiscent of the Thousand-Hand Bodhisattva, suggesting the seamless coordination essential to the gang’s shoplifting exploits.

A highlight is the skilful play with fabric — tossed, passed, and twirled to suggest celebration of stolen goods, bursts of colour, and hints of historical anecdotes. Historically, the gang dressed as elegant aristocrats. Their outfits were also specially tailored with concealed pockets for hiding snatched items, as humorously depicted by a dancer lifting a supposedly pregnant belly only to stuff fabric “loot” into her underskirts.

Midway, the cool blue lighting suggests midnight calm. Most dancers remove their boots and settle into quieter poses. Edvard (Neve Johns) re-enters in a striped shirt with suspenders, partnering Marie (Nayana Burr) in a lyrical pas de deux. This tender interlude hints not only at the slight fatigue that creeps in the pair’s movements but also at the suspenseful calm before the Lambert Riot in 1925. Diamond disapproves of Edvard and Marie's romantic relationship in her commanding solo: punches on the black boxes and powerful airborne side split, climaxes as she hurls a red scarf upward to simulate firing a shot. Edvard crumples to the floor, leaving the torn apart lovers as a poignant voice sings, “my heart is gold and my mind is turned to stone”. While blood debts and vendettas cumber most gangs, an all-female syndicate faces a unique danger when loyalty clashes with love. The dilemma between survival and affection is cleverly staged.

The evening closes with the dramatic arrest of Alice Diamond. Throughout, Jack Blakey’s original score underpins the rhythmic movement with emotional depth, while Daniel Taylor’s atmospheric lighting carries the audience into the adventure, danger, and bonds of sisterhood of The Forty Elephants — a fascinating slice of hidden London history.