Full creative team announced for KENREX at Sheffield Theatres

Sheffield Theatres have announced the full creative team behind the gripping, one-man thrill ride KENREX, which plays in the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse from 26 October – 16 November.

Part True Crime, part Western, with a foot stomping live Americana soundtrack, KENREX is devised by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian; the creators of the Olivier-nominated Cruise.

Jack Holden performs the one-person show, jumping between characters in a high-octane blend of vocals, sound effects and song. They are accompanied on stage by composer and musician John Patrick Elliott, and directed by co-writer Ed Stambollouian. The creative team is completed by designer Anisha Fields, lighting and video designer Joshua Pharo, sound designer Giles Thomas, and movement director Sarah Golding.

Director and co-writer Ed Stambollouian said: "Jack and I have been True Crime fanatics for years, captivated by the gripping stories we see in shows like The Jinx, Making a Murderer and Serial. We wanted to bring the genre to the stage, and when we found the unbelievable but true story of Ken Rex McElroy, we knew we had something special. KENREX is set in 1970’s small-town rural Missouri, but it asks a universal question. When the systems designed to protect us repeatedly fail, how far should we go in the pursuit of justice? In a time of mounting political unrest and violence, in both the US and the UK, KENREX examines the complexities of morality and the price of vengeance."

Performer and co-writer Jack Holden added: "KENREX shares a lot of DNA with Cruise—a fast-paced, one-man multi-roling odyssey, with an electrifying live soundtrack, once again from award-winning composer John Patrick Elliott. This time, however, we’re taking you back to the 1970s, to the streets of small-town Missouri, where the music is raw, infectious, foot-stomping Bluegrass and Americana.

“Part gig, part cold case investigation, with a knotty central question and a host of larger-than-life characters, KENREX is a spit and sawdust thrillride through the American Midwest—and like nothing you’ve experienced before.

“I’m so excited to bring this rip-roaring tale to life at Sheffield Theatres, working alongside a truly extraordinary creative team."

'911, what's your emergency?'

'My husband... they shot him... they all did.'

July 10th 1981. Skidmore, Missouri. A man is shot dead in broad daylight. There are sixty witnesses — but no one saw a thing.