David is risking his life by spying for the Boers. When he learns that the English have gathered their forces outside Kimberley, he warns Louis Botha, the Boer General. Botha sends his infantry against the English. During the battle, David is captured, but the Boers free him. David shouts “Long live freedom!” as he retreats to Kimberley.

Rod and string marionette

Not specified

France

Roubaix

Handwritten outline

Freedom

Seat

People and history

Dramatic

Head of a puppet representing a Boer

French

Épisode de la guerre Anglo-Boers

General

Boer

Traitor

Soldier

English man

Battlefield scene

Execution scene

La Bataille de Kimberley

The Siege of Kimberley

Two marionettes are hanging in a theatre. After some morning stretches, the First One, in great shape, wakes up the Second One, who is sad and busy pondering. The Second Puppet, persuaded to have a deep soul, lectures the First One, and explains the principles of Good and Evil. He claims to be a living actor and to have been freed from God, his maker, who has become powerless. However, he still needs the First One’s help to untie his strings and be able to move freely. The First One declares that he was created after Buddha. This statement makes The Second One feel bad and he starts gasping. He asks The First One to open the window and then the landscape. A house in Burma appears, inside it is the Burmese master who created The First Puppet. He is very old and on the verge of dying.

String marionette

Craig Edward Gordon

Italy

Florence

Printed

Buddha

Creation

Revelation

Comical

Philosophical tale

English

The Scene

Puppet

Old man

Choir

Metatheatre

Metadiscourse on puppet theatre

Apparition

The First Prologue

Premier prologue

Doña Caracolines, the wife of the merchant Don Berrendo, flirts with Infiernillo more than she should. Infiernillo is a shop assistant who writes sentimental poems to court her. The parrot of the house, Hermógenes, observes them. Don Berrendo comes back from his trip sooner than expected. Don Cristóbal gives him the order to clear his name. But as Don Berrendo tries to come closer to the lovers, a strange power stops him. The puppeteer (Titiritero) appears to remind them that they are not the masters of their own movements, but that they are handled by him. An argument starts, with the puppets demanding their independence and fighting for the author’s will against the manipulation of the puppeteer. The puppeteer disappears. Don Cristóbal explains to the audience that this conflict is the same conflict as the one between external reality and the reality invented by art, and he demands that the performance goes on as if nothing had happened. Don Berrendo has regained his freedom of movement and throws himself at Infiernillo. He beats him to death with his stick, accuses his wife of being unfaithful and is preparing to make her suffer the same fate as Infernillo when two Guards appear and stop him. Don Cristóbal discourses on the misfortune caused by women’s romantic desires, but Doña Caracolines tries to seduce him and to give him a kiss. Don Cristóbal resists: he asks for the curtain to fall in order to hide this indecency. Doña Caracolines claims her right to rebel against the author just like Don Cristóbal has rebelled against the Puppeteer. Then she becomes even more affectionate and Don Cristóbal eventually yields to her kisses.

Glove-puppet

Actor and puppet

Spain

Valencia

Love

Unfaithfulness

Revolt

Puppeteer

Playwright

Farcical

José Ricardo Morales, Burlilla de don Berrendo. Madrid: Taurus, 1969 (front cover)

Spanish

Don Cristobita

Parrot

Guard

Neighbour

Seduction scene

Apparition of the puppeteer

Blow-with-a-stick

Burlilla de Don Berrendo, Doña Caracolines y su amante

Little jest with Don Berrendo, Doña Caracolines y su amante

Plum Plum is taking a walk. He runs into Plouf the dog but does not recognise him because the dog has caught a cold and is wearing a scarf. Plum Plum’s Maman (Mom) is looking for him because he left with a gun to go hunting. She finds him, but he shoots twice with the gun, out of fright. Plum Plum brings the gun back home and then continues hunting with a butterfly net. He catches Plouf. A princess is taking a walk in the forest. Zouzou the dragon appears, but he has the hiccups. He decides to kidnap the Princess. The Roi (king) calls for help and Plum Plum volunteers to go fight the dragon. He catches Zouzou in his net and the latter explains that he kidnapped the Princess so that someone would scare the hiccups out of him. Plum Plum threatens to cut his moustache off and to tie a saucepan to his tail. Zouzou is terrified and the hiccups go away. Plum Plum brings Zouzou to the king so that he can be taken to the zoo. The King and the Princess thank Plum Plum.

Young audiences

Belgium

Brussels

Dragon

Hunting

Fear

Miraculous cure

Fantasy

Mother

Princess

King

Address to the public

Song

Fight with an animal

Plum Plum et le dragon Zouzou

Plum Plum and the dragon Zouzou

Princess Dana of Gurkistan is kidnapped and sequestered by the sorcerer Khalakuck and she must prepare him eight noodle dishes a day and clean his nose every morning. But after a year, the magician gives her a choice: either to marry him or be devoured! At this moment she discovers that the rocking horse that was in her room is none other than Prince Schaukelpferd from Spielzeugland transformed into a toy. With the help of Tziptzap, a magic tit (bird), they manage to escape from their prison, flying on Schaukelpferd’s back, which has grown wings during the night. But they are caught by Khalakuck. The prince knows that he only has three and a half metamorphoses left to win the final battle against the sorcerer. The tale ends with a triple wedding: the prince with the princess, the market gardener with the policeman, and Kasperl with Grete. The last couple was indeed already married, but marriage, according to Kasperl, is something you can never do too often.

Fühmann Franz

Germany

Berlin

Fairy play

Tale

Magic

Wonderland

German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Socialism

Jail

Emancipation

Bird

Animal

Childhood

Sexuality

Society

Chickadee

Sorcery

Pickle

Children's game

Horse

Animals, Mythical

Bans

Shortage

Economy

Majority

Adult

Castle

Market

Civism

Educational methods

Humorous

Satirical

German

Prince

Magician

Die Spucke in der Bütte auf der Schwelle

Policeman

Kasperl

Madame Kasperl

Metamorphosis

Talking animal

Object coming to life

Magic act

Scene of recognition

Bawdy equivocation

Political allegory

Love story

Running away

Chase

Confinement

Das Spiel von der glücklichen Flucht des Prinzen Schaukelpferd vom Spielzeugland mit der Prinzessin Dana von Gurkistan aus der Burg des bösen Zauberers Khalakuck

The play about the happy escape of Prince Rocking Horse of Toyland with Princess Dana of Gurkistan from the castle of the evil sorcerer Khalakuck

A stray dog, Rosegó, is rescue by Lluc who has just lost his own dog. The master tries to train Rosegó, to make him play football and to teach him some circus tricks, but without bothering about what the dog really wants to do. The dog, on his side, tries to teach Lluc to bark and raise his paw, but he refuses. Disappointed, Rosegó leaves the house because his freedom is not respected. Lluc and Rosegó eventually regret their decision, reconcile and decide to live together in mutual respect. A jazz band of dogs, friends of Rosegó, comes to sing a song.