British Indian actor Adi Chugh (pictured above), known for Hindi films like Shakuntala Devi (Prime Video) and Bell Bottom, takes on a career-defining role as the lead in The Vanishing Elephant, the latest touring production by Northern Irish theatre company Cahoots NI.

Supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council and Culture Ireland, the show opened at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on 29 May 2025.

It’s set to be showcase at the Buxton Opera House from the 6th to 8th of June, Oxford Playhouse June 11th to 14th and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry from the 18th of the 21st of June.

Chugh is a versatile screen and stage actor whose presence is both magnetic and unconventional. Trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, his craft is informed by a richly diverse upbringing across India, Germany, South Africa and the United States, with creative roots spanning New York, New Delhi and London.

His body of work spans independent cinema, Bollywood, TV and international stages, with performances reflecting emotional nuance and cultural depth. Fluent in three languages and dubbed in six, Chugh brings a globally attuned sensibility to each role.

He is currently touring the UK as the lead in The Vanishing Elephant, where he shares the stage with a life-sized Indian elephant, delivering a performance that balances theatrical spectacle with profound emotional resonance.

Chugh said: “To be granted the opportunity of playing Opu, at three greatly contrasting ages as a child, teenager & an elderly man, alongside Janu, the beautiful Indian elephant, has been a rewarding challenge which I’ve enjoyed tackling.

It’s urged me to push the range of my voice and body as an actor while having a wild yet soulful elephant as a scene partner in a story with Desi roots. That’s unbelievable and unbeatable.”

Written by Charles Way and directed by Cahoots NI’s Artistic Director Paul Bosco McEneaney, with puppetry design and direction by Helen Foan, The Vanishing Elephant was described by The New York Times as “an alluring spectacle” during its Off-Broadway run at the prestigious New Victory Theater.

The U.S. tour also included celebrated performances at the Kravis Center (Florida), Segerstrom Center (California) and the Lied Center (Nebraska), receiving widespread acclaim for its visual artistry and cross-cultural narrative.

Inspired by Harry Houdini’s 1918 illusion of making a five-ton elephant disappear live on stage, the play reimagines the origins of that moment, tracing Janu’s journey from her home in India to the West. Blending storytelling, puppetry, movement and music, the production is a moving exploration of displacement, belonging and the universal power of kindness.

At the centre is the relationship between Janu and Opu, played by Chugh, whose journey spans multiple life stages in a performance that brings heart, depth, and global perspective to a timeless tale.