Don Johnny Bernard Bull (alias Sly-Boots) and Don Taffy Muggins (alias Swagsman) are observing the inside of a house, each from a window. It is the house of Looney, “the Magic Idiot”, and it is full of magical objects. Sly-Boots enters to ask for a remedy, and Looney, who is a wizard, shows him how to create blue sky by mixing two different powders of his own invention. The process is too complicated for Sly-Boots, who refuses to buy it and blames him for trying to sell it at a ridiculous price. Taking advantage of Looney’s distraction, Sly-Boots steals his powders. Blind Boy arrives and shows Sly-Boots how he can see the future in a page of The English Review. He then creates blue sky with Looney; meanwhile, Cockatrice arrives in her turn. In the village square, Sly-Boots meets up with Muggins. He wants them to try out the powder he has stolen, but it is not working: Sly-Boots falls asleep and dreams. Muggins goes to Looney and asks him to buy some powder; he learns that Sly-Boots has stolen another powder and can die from it. Because Muggins threatens him, Looney offers him a magic mirror to coax him. Looney shows Muggins how to make it with two pouches of powder and convinces him to leave his home without him noticing. Realizing that Looney tricked him, Muggins threatens him again, but Blind Boy and Looney begin to play the opening act of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The song summons a king and a queen riding near a stream, and a blue moon rising in the sky. A silvery morning and gilded evening follow, then a Puppet turns to the audience to advise them to mindfully experience the music, and forget the thieves and the insane.

String marionette

Not specified

Craig Edward Gordon

Italy

Rapallo

Rome

Printed

Magic

Theft

Punishment

Azure

Comical

Satirical

Fantasy

Edward Gordon Craig, Looney or the Magic Idiot

English

A Sketch for a Little Farce for Marionettes

Magician

Thief

Cockatrice

Basilic

Blind Boy

Blind

Compartmented stage

Magic act

Avista

Improvised dialogue

Instrumental tune

Apparition

Address to the public

Blue Sky