The Sultan's Elephant

In October 2006, I travelled with some friends to Le Havre to feast our eyes on The Sultan’s Elephant, a peripatetic theatre event by Royal De Luxe. The exquisitely crafted, unbelievably life-like wooden puppets took the form of a young girl, and large elephant measuring up to 12 metres tall. The enchanting behemoths stood out against the post-war architecture, turning the whole city into an animated stage set for different narratives to unfold. Le Havre was one of many cities transformed into a dynamic backdrop for this beautiful piece of fairytale, which reminded us how to be children again.