Pinocchio is a dancing, fencing, somersaulting wooden puppet who sets out to discover the world and to become a real, living boy. For this fantastical musical account of a hero’s journey, the Italian composer Lucia Ronchetti draws on the old tradition of street theatre. With tongue-in-cheek, she quotes music from the beginnings of opera to Pink Floyd, creating a lively and colourful opera experience.

One female singer and five instrumentalists from the State Orchestra of Lower Saxony invite the audience to join in with vim and vigour: to sing, to make music, to comment and to lend Pinocchio their hands-on support. And so, fairy-tale-like miracles happen in this musical theatre experience. The instrumentalists are not hidden away in the orchestra pit as usual, they are part of the performance on stage, taking on many different parts. At times they are well-meaning friends who warn Pinocchio of impending danger, at others they are dangerous adversaries who are trying to lead him astray. Familiar scenes and characters from the original Italian story by Carlo Collodi are given new life on stage: the nose that grows when Pinocchio is lying, the talking cricket and even the bold escape from the stomach of a giant whale.

The sounds that tell the story are as imaginative as the adventures themselves, following Pinocchio’s exciting experiences in a child-appropriate manner: his courage in frightening situations, his kindness towards other children and animals, his resourcefulness and his growing confidence. But Pinocchio also faces sadness, loss and death. He longs for his father Geppetto, with whom he is reunited after presuming him dead, and encounters the deceased Blue Fairy.

We recommend this production for children and adults from age 5 and older.