Kenrex (play)
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| Kenrex | |
|---|---|
 Original London Production Poster | |
| Written by | Jack Holden & Ed Stambollouian |
| Based on | The story of Ken McElroy |
| Directed by | Ed Stambollouian |
| Music by | John Patrick Elliott |
| Lyrics by | John Patrick Elliott |
| Date premiered | 26 October 2024 |
| Place premiered | Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Sheffield |
| Genre | True crime |
Kenrex is a true-crime thriller play that dramatizes the real-life events surrounding the 1981 killing of Ken Rex McElroy in Skidmore, Missouri. It's co-written by Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian. It also features an original score by John Patrick Elliott. It had its world premiere at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse in Sheffield in October 2024.
The play is set in the rural town of Skidmore, Missouri, during the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period of economic decline for the local farming community. The narrative centers on the reign of terror led by Ken Rex McElroy, a local man who had spent decades intimidating the town through a cycle of cattle rustling, arson, and assault. Despite being indicted for dozens of felonies over twenty years, McElroy consistently avoided conviction by threatening witnesses and exploiting legal loopholes, earning him a reputation as an "untouchable" outlaw.