Southwark Playhouse Elephant will host the European premiere of new musical Private Jones, which will open this December.
Private Jones is described as a thrillingly theatrical, completely original new musical set in the First World War about the journeys that transform us and the friendships that remind us we’re not meant to go it alone.
Gomer Jones is restless to find where he belongs, but the recent loss of his hearing has left him feeling shut out of the world he longs to join. Amid a company of misfit young men, he becomes an unlikely hero, only to discover that the prize he’s been chasing may not be the one that matters.
A coming-of-age story told with grit, heart, and a touch of irreverence, Private Jones is written and directed by Marshall Pailet, with choreography by Misha Shields, artistic sign language direction by Alexandria Wailes, music direction by Máth Roberts, set design by Anna Kelsey, lighting design by Tim Deiling, sound design by Yvonne Gilbert, video design by Ben Glover, associate direction by Alice Eklund, casting direction by Rob Kelly, BSL direction by Daryl Jackson, Welsh language consultancy by Lowri Morgan, music consultancy by Myrna Conn, production management by Sam Kelly and dramaturgy Jac Moore.
Private Jones has been in development since 2021 and was first presented in October 2023 at Goodspeed Musicals in Chester, Connecticut. The February 2024 World Premiere production at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virgina won four Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding New Musical. The musical has since been reworked with consultation and input from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff, Wales where it was workshopped in 2025.
Private Jones is produced by Hugo Six in association with Thomas Hopkins Productions. It runs at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from December 14, 2026 to January 30, 2027.
Tickets here.