Isobel Rogers' ELSA Comes to VAULT Festival 2018

With song and satire, a waitress delves beneath the stereotypes of her flat-white drinking customers to serve up a straight-talking look at expectations of millennial women.

Through character comedy, satirical songs and off-the-cuff stand-up covering the contradictions of slut-shaming to Instagram-envy, Isobel Rogers explores cultural stereotypes and what lies underneath. Isobel Rogers' debut show is directed by Sara Joyce, who directed Milly Thomas' The Stage Award-winning Dust at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017 and was recently announced as one of the Old Vic 12 directors for 2017/18.

With her lyrical songwriting, Rogers finds deeper meaning in everyday obsessions and aspirations, questioning what it means to be a young woman. Half-hearted waitress and aspiring actress Elsa works in a café, eavesdropping on overly-earnest coffee chats, regretful memories of the night before, and exhausting tales of the rat race, as she struggles to make sense of a world dominated by social pressures and personal brands.

Isobel said "I am fascinated by the pressures and stigmas women continue to face and wanted to articulate these thoughts in a medium that would allow me to blend character comedy, storytelling, and songwriting. In today's society there is a strong impulse to attempt to become somebody else when the world is telling you that an artist's life is not valuable. I wanted to explore these thoughts through the lens of a singer-songwriter; everyone sees a girl with a guitar as someone who is both vulnerable and powerful, and I wanted to take that image a step further by turning her into a character in a performance so that she can comment on her own narrative."

Isobel Rogers is a writer, singer and actress. She graduated from Warwick University and has worked as a researcher for BBC Radio Four Drama and been an artist in a residence at Camden Roundhouse for two years. Highlights have included supporting artist Camille O'Sullivan and The Tiger Lillies. She is also a member of The Young Writers Lab at Soho Theatre. Isobel has previously appeared on BBC Radio 3's The Verb, performing songs from ELSA.

Sara Joyce recently directed Dust by Milly Thomas which will transfer to Soho Theatre in February. Previously she directed The Scar Test by Hannah Khalil at Soho Theatre. Sara was resident director at Almeida Theatre and resident assistant director at Soho Theatre. She has worked with Dominic Dromgoole, Claire van Kampen, Pan Pan Theatre, Rupert Goold, Richard Eyre and Steve Marmion. Her production of three short Beckett plays at Old Red Lion earned her an Off-West End nomination for Best Director.

@isobel_roge | #ELSAtheplay | vaultfestival.com/elsa

Running Time: 50 minutes | Suitable for ages 16+

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Ensemble - Top 3

1. The Lost Boys

25.5% of votes

2. Schmigadoon!

12.5% of votes

3. Ragtime

10.6% of votes

Vote Now! View Live Stats