Rose Ayling-Ellis, Ffio Haf, Nadeem Islam and Bronwyn James will lead the cast of new musical Private Jones, which opens at Southwark Playhouse Elephant this December.
The production, which brings together sign language, live captioning, a Folely soundscape and an original score, features a cast of hearing, hard of hearing and deaf performers.
Ayling-Ellis plays The Storyteller, with Haf as Gwendolyn/Evans, Islam is Henry & Others, and James is King & others.
The cast also includes George Karanja as Swing, Luke McCall as Father & others, Lili Mohammad as Ensemble, Thea Munoz-Buirski as Ensemble, Katie Louise Prichard as Swing/Pit Singer, James Spence as Gomer Jones, Jacob Ethan GTanner as Alwyn & others, and Jacob Young as Trystan & others.
Private Jones is a thrillingly theatrical, completely original new musical set in WW1 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 Màth 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 by 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.
It is produced by Hugo Six in association with Thomas Hopkins Productions.
The show will open at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from December 14, 2026, until January30, 2027.
Tickets here.
Top image: Marshall Pailet, Rose Ayling-Ellis for Private Jones, credit Piers Allardyce (image supplied)