| pinocchio_complete.doc |
The Set
The stage is dominated by the Tree of Truth which rises from the centre of the stage. It doesn’t really look like a tree. It’s made of interlocking pieces of bare wood which branch out from a dried trunk. At the base of the trunk and up one step from the stage level is a semi-circular platform and in the centre of this platform another smaller dais with a theatrical arch and drawn back red curtains. Above this arch is the legend Collodis Circus. To the right of this platform, starting at the front of the stage there is an old suitcase, a barrel and a drum. Further back from these is a canvas curtain striped in red and cream and adjoining this, but further back we have Mr. Fox’s caravan, blue with cream lozenge patterns and a cream door, with a central window and blue lozenges. There’s one step up to this caravan. Beyond this again a pink and cream hut or small caravan with an old fashioned pipe chimney. Next to this is a blue and white curtained off area. A ladder by the side of this area leads to the upper are of the stage where musician sometimes sit. On the other side of the Tree of Truth there is a box like structure with a curtain draped across its front. Adjacent to this is Talking Cricket’s caravan, its bottom half painted blue and its top half cream. It has a window in its door and one step up to its entrance. Various other small caravans with pipes for chimneys crowd together towards the front of the stage and there’s also a large barrel.
The Characters
Mr Keys is the narrator who greets the audience and fills in the background of the story. Later he becomes Matchstick who befriends Pinocchio before he takes over the running of the circus. He has even features and fair hair, blue deep-set eyes a neat nose and average sized mouth with the trace of a beard and moustache. He wears a grey hat, grey jacket and grey trousers. When he becomes the owner of the circus he wears a red tail coat over black and silver trousers and a top hat. Michael Mahony takes this part.
Mr Fox is played by Richard Clements who also plays Old Jo. He is a tall imposing figure who wears a dark blue robe with a gold border down the front and a glittering belted tunic beneath. The robe has long wide sleeves, a large fur trimmed collar and a huge bushy tail in orange sticks out behind while the hat he wears has fox’s ears. Old Jo is the carpenter who created Pinocchio. As his name suggests he walks slowly and is stooped because of his age. He has a shock of grey fuzzy hair with a woolly hat perched on top of it and wears grey trousers with a waistcoat above. He is played by a member of the cast.
Lady Cat, in contrast, is a small dumpy figure wearing a ballerina’s tutu in white with glitters and layers of frills, below which frilled bloomers are on show. A black tie hangs round her neck and she wears grey tights on chunky legs, with black shoes beneath and a curvy black and white tail swishes behind while elbow length black gloves cover her arms. Christina Nelson plays Lady Cat.
The Red Lobster is played by Richard Russell Edwards. He’s a tall slender figure who wears a red satin dress with a huge bustle at the back. The back of the dress is full length with a frill at the waist while the front of the dress is quite short. The puffed sleeves fit tightly until they reach the elbow. He wears red calf-length boots and at times his black underwear is visible. On his bright red hair the hat he wears has tentacles hanging from it.
Talking Cricket wears an olive green outfit. The top segmented from the bottom and the back resembling a cricket’s wings. Two extra legs swing from the top of the short cloak which represents the top half of the cricket’s back and two antennae protrude from her hat. Black rimmed spectacles complete her outfit. Talking Cricket rarely speaks but uses her violin as her voice and also mimes. This part is played by Eimear Fearon who also plays the Blue Fairy. The Blue Fairy wears a long blue satin dress the sides attached to her arms, so that she can hold it spread out around herself. There’s a drift of misty blue light fabric around her neck and shoulders and she wears a blue padded hat with a feather over her blonde hair.
Swallowfire is the current owner of Collodis and a stern task master. He is a very striking figure, tall and well built with a heavily made up face, white all over, with huge black markings round his eyes and very red lips. He has a bushy red beard and matching upturned moustache and he wears a top hat on his head. He wears formal striped trousers in black and silver and a black waistcoat with red stripes. His frock coat with tails is trimmed with red brocade cuffs, and has a silver star on the back. His shoes are red and he carries an old fashioned walking cane. The part of Swallowfire is taken by Alison Harding.
Pinocchio is a wooden puppet, with carved features. His hair sticks up on top of his head, he has small deep set eyes and a broad nose a big mouth and ears which stick out on either side of his head. He has arms with two joints at the elbows and large hands. His legs are also jointed at the knees and his large feet are painted red. The top half of his body is wooden with painted red stripes and his legs are plain wood. At the end of the play he wears short trousers with braces. Because it seems as though he is made out of wood he has cracks down his body, legs and arms and apart from the painted bits he is wooden coloured all over. Throughout the play his puppeteer stands behind him, manipulating Pinocchio with two controlling rods, one attached to the back of his head and one to his left arm. As the puppeteer he wears grey and black check trouser and a felt hat with a flower. The puppeteer and voice of Pinocchio is Christopher Finn who actually becomes the living boy at the end of the play.
The live music is provided by the multi-talented cast members, who, besides singing also play various instruments usually from the upper area of the stage. These programme notes are brought to you by NI Sightlines. You can always download the notes for all the shows that are audio described from our website. www.nisightlines.co.uk
Now sit back and enjoy the show.
The stage is dominated by the Tree of Truth which rises from the centre of the stage. It doesn’t really look like a tree. It’s made of interlocking pieces of bare wood which branch out from a dried trunk. At the base of the trunk and up one step from the stage level is a semi-circular platform and in the centre of this platform another smaller dais with a theatrical arch and drawn back red curtains. Above this arch is the legend Collodis Circus. To the right of this platform, starting at the front of the stage there is an old suitcase, a barrel and a drum. Further back from these is a canvas curtain striped in red and cream and adjoining this, but further back we have Mr. Fox’s caravan, blue with cream lozenge patterns and a cream door, with a central window and blue lozenges. There’s one step up to this caravan. Beyond this again a pink and cream hut or small caravan with an old fashioned pipe chimney. Next to this is a blue and white curtained off area. A ladder by the side of this area leads to the upper are of the stage where musician sometimes sit. On the other side of the Tree of Truth there is a box like structure with a curtain draped across its front. Adjacent to this is Talking Cricket’s caravan, its bottom half painted blue and its top half cream. It has a window in its door and one step up to its entrance. Various other small caravans with pipes for chimneys crowd together towards the front of the stage and there’s also a large barrel.
The Characters
Mr Keys is the narrator who greets the audience and fills in the background of the story. Later he becomes Matchstick who befriends Pinocchio before he takes over the running of the circus. He has even features and fair hair, blue deep-set eyes a neat nose and average sized mouth with the trace of a beard and moustache. He wears a grey hat, grey jacket and grey trousers. When he becomes the owner of the circus he wears a red tail coat over black and silver trousers and a top hat. Michael Mahony takes this part.
Mr Fox is played by Richard Clements who also plays Old Jo. He is a tall imposing figure who wears a dark blue robe with a gold border down the front and a glittering belted tunic beneath. The robe has long wide sleeves, a large fur trimmed collar and a huge bushy tail in orange sticks out behind while the hat he wears has fox’s ears. Old Jo is the carpenter who created Pinocchio. As his name suggests he walks slowly and is stooped because of his age. He has a shock of grey fuzzy hair with a woolly hat perched on top of it and wears grey trousers with a waistcoat above. He is played by a member of the cast.
Lady Cat, in contrast, is a small dumpy figure wearing a ballerina’s tutu in white with glitters and layers of frills, below which frilled bloomers are on show. A black tie hangs round her neck and she wears grey tights on chunky legs, with black shoes beneath and a curvy black and white tail swishes behind while elbow length black gloves cover her arms. Christina Nelson plays Lady Cat.
The Red Lobster is played by Richard Russell Edwards. He’s a tall slender figure who wears a red satin dress with a huge bustle at the back. The back of the dress is full length with a frill at the waist while the front of the dress is quite short. The puffed sleeves fit tightly until they reach the elbow. He wears red calf-length boots and at times his black underwear is visible. On his bright red hair the hat he wears has tentacles hanging from it.
Talking Cricket wears an olive green outfit. The top segmented from the bottom and the back resembling a cricket’s wings. Two extra legs swing from the top of the short cloak which represents the top half of the cricket’s back and two antennae protrude from her hat. Black rimmed spectacles complete her outfit. Talking Cricket rarely speaks but uses her violin as her voice and also mimes. This part is played by Eimear Fearon who also plays the Blue Fairy. The Blue Fairy wears a long blue satin dress the sides attached to her arms, so that she can hold it spread out around herself. There’s a drift of misty blue light fabric around her neck and shoulders and she wears a blue padded hat with a feather over her blonde hair.
Swallowfire is the current owner of Collodis and a stern task master. He is a very striking figure, tall and well built with a heavily made up face, white all over, with huge black markings round his eyes and very red lips. He has a bushy red beard and matching upturned moustache and he wears a top hat on his head. He wears formal striped trousers in black and silver and a black waistcoat with red stripes. His frock coat with tails is trimmed with red brocade cuffs, and has a silver star on the back. His shoes are red and he carries an old fashioned walking cane. The part of Swallowfire is taken by Alison Harding.
Pinocchio is a wooden puppet, with carved features. His hair sticks up on top of his head, he has small deep set eyes and a broad nose a big mouth and ears which stick out on either side of his head. He has arms with two joints at the elbows and large hands. His legs are also jointed at the knees and his large feet are painted red. The top half of his body is wooden with painted red stripes and his legs are plain wood. At the end of the play he wears short trousers with braces. Because it seems as though he is made out of wood he has cracks down his body, legs and arms and apart from the painted bits he is wooden coloured all over. Throughout the play his puppeteer stands behind him, manipulating Pinocchio with two controlling rods, one attached to the back of his head and one to his left arm. As the puppeteer he wears grey and black check trouser and a felt hat with a flower. The puppeteer and voice of Pinocchio is Christopher Finn who actually becomes the living boy at the end of the play.
The live music is provided by the multi-talented cast members, who, besides singing also play various instruments usually from the upper area of the stage. These programme notes are brought to you by NI Sightlines. You can always download the notes for all the shows that are audio described from our website. www.nisightlines.co.uk
Now sit back and enjoy the show.
