MONSTERING THE ROCKETMAN To Make London Premiere At Arcola Theatre In February 2026

Following its award-winning, sold-out run at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, MONSTERING THE ROCKETMAN will make its London debut at the Arcola Theatre beginning February 3, 2026.

Written by and starring Henry Naylor and directed by Darren Lee Cole, the one-man play will explore Britain’s largest-ever libel case, pitting Elton John against The Sun during a 23-month tabloid campaign that reshaped the public understanding of celebrity media battles. Press night will take place Thursday, February 5.

Drawing from the true story of Elton John’s pursuit of legal redress after false allegations published during the 1980s, Naylor’s script retraces a saga involving tabloid tactics, bugged phone calls, celebrity testimonies, and escalating personal and professional fallout. The play examines how a single case exposed the era’s appetite for scandal while raising questions that persist today about the limits of press freedom, the rise of sensationalism, and the tension between storytelling and accountability. Naylor, whose previous works have centered on Western involvement in the Middle East, uses the case to interrogate a media culture still grappling with issues of intrusion, misinformation, and celebrity commodification.

Across his career, Naylor has earned 56 international theatre awards and nominations, including four Scotsman Fringe Firsts, the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award, Norway’s Heddaprisen, and the Prague Creative and Inspiration Awards. His play Angel was previously named one of The Times’ “Ten Best Plays of the Year.”

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND TICKETS