Rainbow Theatre

Rainbow Theatre

The Dragon & the Crocodile

by Makki Marseilles

Directed by Chris Harris

Sets by Argiris Akrivos, Dimitris Mavroidis, Alkis Kondos

Costumes / Hats by Kim O'Neill

Puppets, Dragon and Crocodile costumes by Spyros Papachristou

Original music composed and played by Nikos Kondos

Solo Bouzouki by Nikiforos Karagiannis

First performance : 17 Oct. 1998
The play brings together, perhaps for the first time, two very well known characters who have entertained and delighted generations of children all over the world: Mr. Punch of the Punch and Judy show and Karagiozis of the shadow theatre, two characters as different from, and as same as, two snowflakes. They come from different cultures, speak different languages, yet they share a common heritage which makes them so resistant to the ravages of time and fashions.

The Punch and Judy show

The Punch and Judy tradition has its origins in the late 17th century and has derived from the character of Pulcinello of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte. This strange puppet tradition of the gruesome Punch and his antics has survived to this day as a regular feature of the beaches in England. In France he became Polcinelle, in Germany Kasperl, in Czechoslovakia Kasparek, and in Greece and Turkey Karagoz.

Karagiozis

Many people believe he has Turkish origins but this is not entirely right. The shadow theatre was first seen in China around 1250 and was brought to Islam by a Greek, John Mavromatis. The Sultans of the time allowed performances of the new type of theatre but the audiences were exclusively male. Karagiozis came to Greece around 1860 and quickly became the representative of the immortal Greek spirit of survival against all odds with stoicism and humour.

The Morris Dance

No summer in England would be complete without a group of Morris dancers entertaining on the green at the local pub. Sensible, well-behaved men suddenly put on white trousers and shirts, straw hats and bells and with a flourish of white hankies go crazy dancing such pieces as 'Getting Upstairs' and 'The Nutting Song' It all goes back to the days of yore when spring and the rebirth of nature was given its rightful place. Fertility dances were all the rage. The word Morris comes from Morisco a dance from abroad. Eight men, a musician and a fool go through an intricate pattern of steps while the bagman goes around collecting money. They then adjourn to the pub for a beer before repeating the whole process again. Although primarily done by men there are now many mixed and women sides, as they are called. As with the Punch and Judy show at the seaside it is all part of the English cultural heritage.

The Crocodile

Is the largest of all living reptiles with the male of the species often reaching over 6 meters long. Fossil crocodiles have been found in the rocks at about the same time as the dinosaurs giving scientists valuable information about the behaviour of those huge extinct monsters. The Nile crocodile spends most of its days basking on sandbanks but can run very fast if necessary. It uses a special technique to keep its huge body cool while its social habits are far more complex than it has been suggested. The female lays about 40 eggs and buries them in various depths depending on the nature of the soil taking care they are away from direct sunlight and the temperature does not vary more than 3°C. When the young are hatched the female croc picks them up in its mouth a dozen at a time and carries them to a special nursery in the swamp. They remain there for a couple of months hunting frogs and fish under the watchful eyes of their ...proud parents! Crocodiles are fierce creatures but the Rainbow Theatre's own croc will even let you stroke him without any danger.

The Dragon

A fabulous creature, comes in several shapes and sizes and is thought to have magic powers which are transferred to those who kill them. St. George, England's patron saint battled with a dragon in order to save the King of Libya's daughter not for her hand in marriage but so that his subjects would be baptised as Christians and ever since he is seen as the triumph of good over evil. Western Dragons are ugly beasts with scaly skin, bat-like wings and long necks. They guard huge hoards of treasure and usually breathe fire. According to the legend if you kill a dragon and eat his heart you'll be able to understand birds, and if you rub its blood on your skin you'll be able to resist stab wounds. Eastern dragons by contrast are more cuddly. They do not breathe fire and they are often seen with a pearl in their mouth representing wisdom. Although they look fierce they are benign creatures and should never be slain. The Welsh are extremely fond of dragons and in fact they have a red one on their flag. The Wyrm, a slippery character with no legs or wings, is England's version of a dragon, while Nessie, the Loch Ness monster is Scotland's tourist dragon attraction. India has the 'Naga', a human-headed beast with no wings; Mexico the 'Quetzalcoat' the winged serpent, from Africa comes a dragon with a head at either end; while Papua New Guinea is the home of the 'Artrellia'. Vikings placed them on the prow of their ships while the Chinese have dragon boat races for over 2,000 years. The nearest thing to a 'real' dragon is the Komodo in the tiny Lesse Sundas islands in South East Asia. It is as big as a car, has a darting yellow tongue that looks like a flame and likes nothing better than human flesh, very unlike the Rainbow Theatre's dragon who is as gentle... as a pussy cat.

St. George and the Dragon

According to a legend of the Middle Ages there once lived in a distant pagan land a dreadful monster called a dragon. The flapping of its great bat-like wings could be heard for miles around. With a single blow of its terrible claws it could fell an ox. From its nostrils came clouds of smoke and flame that brought death to those who breathed it.

Every year a young girl was offered to it to prevent it from rushing upon the city and destroying all the inhabitants. One year the lot fell to Princess Sabra, daughter of the king. She was saved by the valiant St. George, youngest and bravest of the seven champions of Christendom.

With his magic sword Ascalon, he wounded the monster so badly that the princess was able to put her sash about its head and lead it to the marketplace of the town. There St. George slew it with one blow. Won over to the Christian faith by this deed of its champion, the people were baptized.

The Players