The Vanishing Elephant

Cahoots NI in association with Belfast International Arts Festival

In the heart of Bengal, a young boy named Opu dreams of becoming an elephant trainer. When he befriends Janu, an Asian Elephant, their friendship is the first step on an adventure so huge, it spans decades and continents.

On their separate paths, they face fearsome encounters, stormy seas and strange new worlds.

Years in the future, Opu, now an old man, learns that world-famous magician Harry Houdini will vanish an elephant, live on stage in New York City. Could it really be Janu, Opu’s old friend, so far from home? Determined to uncover the truth, he too takes an epic journey into the unknown.

Cahoots NI’s moving story of friendship, belonging and adventure was named a ‘Critic’s Pick’ in the New York Times, which hailed it as ‘an alluring spectacle’.