ELVIS is back in the building and he's Chinese in Charlotte Jones's joyful comedy of transformation at the Stehen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough.

Presented in a co-production with the New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Martha, Josie And The Chinese Elvis takes place on the birthday of Josie Botting, a work-from-home dominatrix who has lost the will to dominate and is not exactly in the mood to party when a collection of family, friends and acquaintances gather in her suburban semi on a cold winter's evening.

However, her most loyal client, Lionel, is keen to mark the occasion and duly arranges for a special appearance from the "‘King", in the shape of novice Elvis impersonator Timothy Wong (played by Jun Hwang).

Premiered at the Bolton Octagon 21 years ago, Martha, Josie And The Chinese Elvis won the Pearson Television Best Play Award for 1998 and the Manchester Evening News Best New Play for 1999, also contributing to writer Charlotte Jones winning the Critics’ Circle Most Promising Playwright Award that year.

Now comes the SJT/NewVic revival directed by Gemma Fairlie. "It's a fun-filled evening and it’s an evening full of Elvis songs, but it’s also an evening of revelation," says Charlotte. "By the end, everything has been transformed. That was what I wanted to write: a joyous comedy of transformation."

Has the play itself been transformed in any way over the past 20 years, Charlotte? "I think it's changed a bit from the very first production at Bolton," she says. "I remember I cut it for a tour, and Gemma is using the same text from when it was last done in Hull in 2016, though I did say to the director, 'do cut it' as we want everyone to get the last bus home!"

Assessing the play's continuing popularity, Charlotte says: "I think it always has an air of magic realism that makes it timeless, like a fantasy. When I wrote it, I wanted to create something that was funny and entertaining, but what is different now is the fascination with celebrity, as opposed to when we just had religious icons. Though it's tongue in cheek, Elvis is like a god to Josie, especially in this age of chasing fame, so this play is a celebration of the extraordinary, but the conduit to that is this rather incompetent Elvis impersonator."

Broadening her thoughts on gods and Gods, Charlotte says: "In an increasingly secular world, people are finding spirituality in different forms: they're finding solace in Eastern religions, which seem more seductive than Christian faith, though a sense of community and serving others is at the heart of all religions."

Looking back on writing Martha, Josie And The Chinese Elvis, Charlotte recalls that the Chinese Elvis was not her idea. "I was working for Lawrence Till at the Octagon, who wanted me to write a play with relevance to the community and was funny," she recalls. "I wanted to write a play with an Elvis impersonator, and I think Lawrence had just been to a Chinese restaurant with an Elvis impersonator there, and because it was my first commission and I wanted to please him, the character became a Chinese Elvis at his suggestion."

Elvis lives on in so many tribute shows. "It's so extraordinary the way so many people make a living out of impersonating Elvis, but he's in our bloodstream, isn't he," says Charlotte.

There is more to the popularity of her play than a Chinese Elvis, reckons the Brighton playwright. "It's an accessible play that has humanity at the heart of it." she says. "I'm always interested in dysfunction: someone once said I put the 'fun' into dysfunction, and we all have our quirks and walk a thin line between sanity and insanity. Here everything is amplified for comedy, but there's a really human story of heartbreak and loss."

Martha, Josie And The Chinese Elvis, in The Round, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, until April 20. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.

Charles Hutchinson

Lionel Eamonn Riley