Banksy: The Room in the Elephant, Arcola Theatre

Yes, in case you were wondering about the title, it is that Banksy. The elusive, world famous graffiti artist is the catalyst for Tom Wainwright’s one-man play, which uses a fascinating true story as a basis for exploring ideas about art, property and storytelling.

In 2011, while making a trip to LA, the mysterious artist playfully sprayed 'this looks a bit like an elephant' on the side of a water tank. What he didn’t think about was Tachowa Covington, who had made a home for himself inside the tank for the last seven years and was turfed out into the Los Angeles scrubland when art dealers flocked to claim Banksy’s new work. His story was quickly picked up by the press, piquing writer Wainwright’s interest.

In Wainwright’s version of events, Banksy’s unfortunate prank gives way to the story of the man whose life he inadvertently turned upside down. The charismatic resident of the tank, played by EastEnders’ Gary Beadle, treats audiences to his life story, describing how he ended up in his unusual home and how he was unceremoniously booted out of it. But this tale is never quite as simple as it looks, begging questions about truth and fiction. As Wainwright’s narrator puts it, 'ain’t no-one want the truth, they want the story'. And in using this man’s story to create his own work of art, is Wainwright really any better than Banksy?

Wainwright’s play showed plenty of promise during its Edinburgh run last year and has apparently been tweaked and improved ahead of its London premiere. We’re looking forward to catching it in its new home before it heads off on a national tour.