Bradley Cooper to bow on Broadway

Set in Victorian England, Bradley Cooper stars in this powerful drama about the extraordinary story of Joseph Merrick - a severely disfigured man who is taken in by the circus to form part of their travelling 'freak show.' This new revival of Bernard Pomerance's play, which premiered at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2012, follows Merrick's trials and successes as he struggles to live a life with dignity and be seen as more than just a form of entertainment.

Cooper, who plays the role of Merrick, stars alongside Academy Award nominee Patricia Clarkson (Mrs. Kendal) and Alessandro Nivola (Dr. Fredrick Treves), both of whom performed alongside him at the production's 2012 premiere. The play is once again directed by six-time Tony nominee Scott Ellis.

What is The Elephant Man About?

The play traces the life of Joseph Merrick. Born in 1862 in England, with severe deformities which led him to dubbed 'The Elephant Man', much of his early life was spent in workhouses. He later became an attraction at travelling freak shows, before he was taken in by a doctor by the name of Frederick Treves. Over the last four years of Merrick's life, Treves devoted himself to his care and studying his disease. The two men form a strong bond during this time, yet questions remain about how much Treves cared for Merrick and to what degree he was using him to advance his own career.