On his way to Paris, young d’Artagnan bumps into a stranger accompanied by a gorgeous woman he calls Milady. The stranger steals from him a reference letter addressed to Tréville – the captain of the musketeers. In Paris, d’Artagnan meets Tréville and earns the trust of the three musketeers Athos, Porthos and Aramis when he fights with them against the Cardinal Richelieu’s guards. The king gives the three musketeers and d’Artagnan thanks for their courage. Then, d’Artagnan saves Costanza – the queen’s lady-in-waiting. She entrusts him with a mission – to save the queen from a trap set by Richelieu. The queen gave aglets to the duke of Buckingham, who is in love with her, but they had been gifted to her by the king. In order to make the king aware of this relationship between the queen and the duke, the cardinal suggests that he organise a party and ask the queen to wear the aglets for the occasion. D’Artagnan then goes to London with the three musketeers, manages to recover the aglets and so to save the queen’s reputation.

Rod marionette

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

Italy

Palermo

Typed or electronic text with handwritten annotations

Bravery

Impossible love

Plot

Cloak-and-dagger novel

Friendship

Heroic

Dramatic

Italian

d'Artagnan

Milady

Innkeeper

Jean-Armand du Peyrer, earl of Tréville

Choir

Aramis

Athos

Porthos

Jussac

Louis XIII

Landlord

Bonacieux

Guard

Lady

Duke of Buckingham

Cardinal Richelieu

Earl of Rochefort

Anne of Austria

Queen

Chancellor

Duel scene

Spying scene

Sword fight

Spectacular turn of events

Dance

I tre moschettieri

The three musketeers

Worried about his succession, the lion king Maghan listens to the predictions of fortune tellers and marries Sogolon Kédjou, the buffalo-woman, despite her ugliness; he has a son with her, Sunjata, who is destined to be king of Manding. This choice prompts the anger of his first wife, Sassouma Bérété, for Maghan is depriving their son, Dankara Touman, of his prestigious heritage. Young Sunjata grows up, but, at seven years old, still does not walk. The crowd rumbles against this infirm heir, becomes threatening and eventually declares Dankara Touman the head of the kingdom. Growing old, king Maghan, still believing the words of the fortune tellers, entrusts his griot to Sunjata, and by doing so, contests Dankara’s legitimacy. Exasperated, Sassouma Bérété solicits a group of witches to murder young Sunjata, but this plan fails. She demands that the griot be abducted and sent to the court of Manding’s great enemy, Soumaoro Kanté, king of Sosso. After a lively argument with his half-brother Dankara, Sunjata, driven out from the kingdom, goes into exile. He finds refuge at the court of king Mamé where he receives training and becomes a great warrior. In his absence, Soumaoro Kanté has had multiple conquests, thus leading to Dankara Touman taking flight, and to the doom of the kingdom of Manding. Called by his mother who implores him to come back in order to fulfil his destiny, Sunjata returns, applauded by the crowd. Determined, he declares war against Soumaoro Kanté. The griot relates Sunjata’s war exploits and sings his glorious posterity.

Body shadows

Shadow theatre

France

Strasbourg

Aulnay-sous-bois

Electronic text

Africa

Oral tradition

Legendary King

Tale

Destiny

Conquest

Revenge

Griot

Crowd

Ugliness

Infirmity

Music and esotericism

Retour

Disability

Epic

Fantasy

Amoros et Augustin and Ki-Yi M'Bock Théâtre, Sunjata, photograph of the performance