EXCLUSIVE! It’s ELTON JOHN vs. THE SUN! World’s Biggest Star battles World’s Toughest Tabloid in epic eighties clash!
When The Sun falsely accuses Elton John, 39, of “sordid rent boy sex sessions”, the Rocketman blasts it with a whopping multi-million-pound lawsuit…
But for unrepentant editor Kelvin Mackenzie, 40, “Sorry” seems to be the hardest word. He launches a staggering year-long campaign of media harassment, which could break the Rocker.
In the end: is Elton still standing? Or does the Sun go down on him?
Based on the true story of Britain’s biggest-ever libel suit and performed by Henry Naylor, Monstering the Rocketman was one of the standout shows of 2025’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the prestigious Fringe First Award and garnering 16 four-star and five-star reviews.
Don’t miss the London premiere of this multi-award-winning sellout smash.
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Running time
75 minutes -
Age guidance
14+ -
Content warnings
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Discounts
Pay What You Can Tuesdays excluding 3 February -
Relaxed performance
"A solo tour de force"
"Precisely the sort of important piece that proves why the Fringe needs to exist"
"Brilliantly entertaining… a vital historical record and a warning"
"A riveting performance that reminds us that claims of a golden age of good journalism before social media are a misrepresentation of history"
"A must see... exciting, fast paced and delivered with extraordinary skill"
"A perfectly balanced mix of compelling storytelling, satire, and lampooning …makes for a thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable hour"
"This is a thumping good and thought provoking show... utterly, utterly, brilliant"
"The best theatre to see at Edinburgh Fringe this year"– The Times
Production photos
The Company
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Henry Naylor
Lynx
Henry Naylor
Lynx
Before becoming a playwright, Henry was a comedian. Together with double-act partner Andy Parsons, he hosted nine series of the popular BBC Radio 2 show Parsons & Naylor’s Pull-Out Sections.
He also regularly performed cameos in TV comedy sketch shows, including Goodness Gracious Me, Murder Most Horrid, The Detectives, Smith & Jones, The Lenny Henry Show and Saturday Night Live. …he was even Rowan Atkinson’s sidekick Bough in the long-running Barclaycard campaign!!
A former lead writer on the satirical show Spitting Image, he switched to playwriting in 2014.
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Darren Lee Cole
Director
Darren Lee Cole
Director
Artistic Director of the SoHo Playhouse since 2004, Darren’s one of the leading Producer/Directors off-Broadway. Among his many credits: Producing Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, Phoebe Waller Bridge in Fleabag, Daniel Sloss X, Killer Joe by Tracy Letts (Vaudeville Theatre, West End, London) and Laticia (L’espace Marais, Paris); Directing: Games, Rap Guide Series with Baba Brinkman and Jamaica Farewell. Darren’s also Artistic Director and Producer of the Fringe Encore Series fringeencoreseries.com.
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Henry Naylor
Writer/Producer
Henry Naylor
Writer/Producer
Yorkshireman Henry Naylor is the author of nine plays, which have won or been nominated for 56 international awards, including Angel (one of The Times’ Plays of the Year), Borders (winner of The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award), Echoes (Overall Best Theatre, Adelaide Fringe) and Afghanistan Is Not Funny (Best International, Hollywood Fringe).
He has won the prestigious Scotsman Fringe First four times, and the Overall Adelaide Critics’ Circle Award three years running.
His work has played in five continents and has been translated into seventeen languages.
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Iain Pearson
AV Designer
Iain Pearson
AV Designer
Iain is an Audio Visual Designer based in Glasgow, with over 10 years’ experience in theatrical production design, combining his skills with sound, lights and projection in a number of shows, including Afghanistan is Not Funny (2023), Let the Bodies Pile (2024) and Bethlehem Calling (2025)
Book your tickets
Event Instance Listings
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Tue 3 Feb 2026
7.30pm
Preview
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Wed 4 Feb 2026
7.30pm
Preview
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Thu 5 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Fri 6 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Sat 7 Feb 2026
3pm
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Sat 7 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Mon 9 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Tue 10 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Wed 11 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Thu 12 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Fri 13 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Sat 14 Feb 2026
3pm
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Relaxed performance
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Sat 14 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Mon 16 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Tue 17 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Wed 18 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Thu 19 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Fri 20 Feb 2026
7.30pm
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Sat 21 Feb 2026
3pm
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Sat 21 Feb 2026
7.30pm