An Elephant in Pieces

A new play about Didier Drogba and the Ivorian Civil War

An Elephant in Pieces tells the remarkable true story of how footballer Didier Drogba helped end the civil war in his home country, Côte d’Ivoire.

Written by Doe Wilmann, author and host of the Meaningless Problems short story podcast, the play explores Didier Drogba's double life between 2002 and 2007 when he emerged from obscurity to become simultaneously a Premier League superstar and a symbol of Ivorian national unity.

Didier, who spent most of his childhood in France, didn't sign a professional contract as a footballer until he turned twenty. Three years later, when he makes his debut for the Côte d’Ivoire national team, aka 'The Elephants', he feels like an outsider in a country that is on the brink of civil war.

As the conflict grows, so too does Didier's talent and celebrity. And, with the national team battling to qualify for their first ever World Cup, he and his fellow 'Elephants' become a divided country's single point of shared hope.

An Elephant in Pieces will be performed in London soon (date TBC). To access priority tickets, please sign up at the bottom of the page.

The moment that inspired a nation (and inspired this play)

October 2005. The Elephants qualify for the World Cup and Didier Drogba addresses the nation.

WHY tell this story?

Most people have heard of the Christmas Truce of 1914, when British and German soldiers temporarily ceased hostilities to play a game of football. But the match that was held in Bouake, the rebel-held territory in the north of Côte d’Ivoire on 3rd June 2007, after Didier Drogba personally lobbied the president to make it possible, trumps the friendly in No Man’s Land.

Didier’s match was a crystallisation of the peace so many had been longing for. Leaders from both sides of the conflict stood together to sing the national anthem and cheer the players to the rafters as they romped to a five-nil win. After which, the fighting that had gripped the country for so long, came to an end

I remember the story being covered briefly in the British press at the time, but it has never been afforded the status it deserves. Nor, despite its obvious dramatic potential, has it ever been the focus of a theatre, film or TV production. The story is made even more remarkable given Didier’s unconventional rise to the summit of world football.

WHY IS IT CALLED 'AN ELEPHANT IN PIECES'?

There’s a story, from the poet Rumi, about an elephant in a dark room. When asked to describe the creature, those who touch the trunk think it’s a snake. Others a sword. Others a fan. And they argue over whose impression is true. This idea runs through the play. What is a country? What is a war? What is a footballer? Everything we think we know, we only know in pieces.

how can i get involved?

Theatre is all about collaboration. If you would like to support this production in any way, please get in touch via the contact section of the website. And to keep up to date with the play's development, please sign up below.

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Doe Wilmann

London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom