Prince Abdal and his servant Kasper are lost in an enchanted forest. Kasper eats all the supplies while his master cannot satisfy his hunger. For three years, the prince has been searching for a woman who appeared to him in a dream. Then the king of the dwarfs and his subjects appear to the two men. The woman they are looking for is Princess Olanda, who is held captive in the forest by the magician Brandarbaran. They decide that Kasper will kill the magician, while Prince Abdal saves the princess. They are both given magical objects, and the dwarfs offer to help them. Kasper goes back to court using an invisibility cloak, and delivers fake news – that his master has died – then disappears. Olanda has been held captive for three years in Brandarbaran’s dungeon. Although she was treated like a princess in all respects by her maid Margaretha, she was raised by poor people. Brandarbaran tries to seduce her, but she resists him. Since this will cause him to look powerless, he decides to kill her. Prince Abdal and Kasper are at the foot of the dungeon, and about to fulfill their mission. Pimperle and Pitschkerle, two dwarfs, come to their aid and put the dragon to sleep. But Kasper does not succeed in killing the magician: in fact, the dwarfs did not wish him to, because Brandarbaran is actually Olanda’s father! Brandarbaran gives Kasper and Olanda their blessing. The maid Margaretha recognises Kasper: he is her husband, who ran away years before. They reconcile after quarrelling several times.

String marionette

Not specified

Germany

Saxony

Manuscript

Magic

Dwarf

Jail

Hunger

Love

Enchanted forest

Magic object

Dragon

Father-daughter incest

Dramatic

Comical

Fantasy

First page of Die Zwerge, c.1750.

German

Queen

Prince

Commanding officer

Master of ceremonies

Servant

Magician

Maid

King of the dwarfs

Dwarf (female)

Apparition

Stream of consciousness

Final wedding

Metamorphosis

Flying machine

Scene of recognition

Stormy scene

Fake news

Die Zwerge

The dwarfs

Florindo wants to marry Isabella, the daughter of a pork’s butcher. His father Balanzone opposes their union and wants Florindo to marry a baroness. Since his son refuses, Balanzone sends him to Venice for his studies, so that he will be far from Isabella. Florindo is hopeless and asks Brighella for help, and the latter takes him to the magician Arcaleus. The magician hands him two magic rings. Those who wear them will swap identities. The second ring falls into the hands of Fasolino, who owes a lot of debts in town. Florindo becomes Fasolino, and Fasolino, Florindo. After several misunderstandings and twists and turns, Fasolino, with the appearance of Florindo, ends up in jail, but people believe he is mad, and he is freed. Out of anger, he throws the ring on to the ground and thus regains his true appearance, which breaks the spell. Brighella reveals the plot. The story ends with a happy ending – Florindo is permitted to marry Isabella, and Fasolino expresses his joy because, while they swapped identities, Florindo repaid most of his debts.

Glove-puppet

Italy

Typewriting

Change of identity

Debt

Social classes

Emilian

Balanzone

Florindo

Brighella

Valet

Fagiolino

Sganapino

Guard

Monologue

Disguised character (false identity)

Misunderstanding

Unveiling

Aside

I due anelli magici

The two magic rings

Incarcerated for his debts, Casperl is freed from prison by a small child, Capricerl, who is the guide of Fortuna, the blind goddess. While being pursued, Casperl finds refuge with Klaus, a hermit who reveals himself to be the Devil. However, Fortuna bet against Bios, the genie of life, that her gifts could make someone happy: Casperl will be her guinea pig. She repels the Devil and makes Casperl win the lottery. But the newly rich man is tyrannical and angry to the point of becoming sick. He goes so far as to miss the simple and modest life he once had, and curses his fortune. The goddess understands her defeat and brings him back to his normal self. Casperl goes to the inn.

Young audiences

Pocci Franz von

Munich

Printed

Despair

Thirst

Destiny

Happiness

Blindness

Widower

Gas balloon

Philosophy

Grief

Breaking out

Latin Mythology

Bingo

Tavern

Burlesque

Kasperl im Schuldturm

Genie

Goddess of Fortune

Kasperl

Innkeeper

Old man

Hermit

Devil

Police officer

Verschiedene Erscheinungen und Verwandlungen

Allegory

Off-stage voice

Song

Apparition of the Devil

Versified passages

Pact with the devil

Word for another

Thunderbolt

Chorus

Story

Metatheatre

Transforming scenery

Address to the public

Slaps

Das Glück ist blind

Luck is blind

Casper is accused by a farmer of stealing his hay and the cart and cow that went with it. He tries to bargain over the compensation and settles the matter with a stick. In court, he insults the judge and beats the policeman. The peasant asks for him to be hanged, but Casper finds out and hangs him instead. Then he beats the policeman again. The judge wants him tortured and executed, but Casper beats him to death.

Sonneberg

Justice

Theft

Retribution

Punishment

Gallows

Torture

Police

Judgment

Prosecution

Violence

Assassination

Embezzlement

Silliness

Wickedness

Insubordination

Farcical

Ironic

Judge

Policeman

Peasant

Blow-with-a-stick

Parodic trial

Stichomythia

Foul language register

Comic Equivocation

Hanging scene

Murder on stage

Epilogue

Casper soll ins Gefängnis kommen

Casper must go to jail

Cockatrice arrives at the Royal George Inn and impersonates Charlie Chaplin. The Landlord discovers that Cockatrice’s Magic Donkey creates gold coins, and he swaps it with his own donkey while Cockatrice is asleep. During an interlude, a Marionette informs the audience that a scene will not be acted. The scene was supposed to show the meeting between Cockatrice and the King to show his Magic Donkey create coins; the latter, having been switched, cannot do so, and Cockatrice is sent to jail. The curtain opens up to Blind Boy’s arrival at the inn. The Landlord tries to steal Blind Boy’s bag while he is asleep; Blind Boy wakes up and orders the Magic Stick to beat him. The Landlord confesses that he also stole the Magic Table and the Magic Donkey, but he explains that he was once a prince who became enamoured with Princess Razzlemond and that an evil fairy changed him into a Landlord and cursed him to steal all of his clients until one defeated him - just as Blind Boy did. In order to make amends, he gifts Blind Boy a Magic Fiddle that forces everyone to dance. Cockatrice and Columbus sing in their cell to kill time. They are brought to the public place to be tortured, judged, and executed before the King and Princess Razzlemond. Blind Boy interrupts the scene and, thanks to his Magic Fiddle, forces everyone to dance until the King pardons Cockatrice and Columbus. Princess Razzlemond asks Blind Boy to marry her, but he tells her to go to the inn, where her Prince, the former Landlord, awaits her.

Craig Edward Gordon

Marina di Pisa

Capital executions and executors

Satirical

English

The Magic Ass and The Magic Stick

Cockatrice

Basilic

Parrot

Blind

Blind Boy

Violin

Donkey

Courtier

Guardian

Clerk

Executioner

Captain

Spectator

Puppet

Instrumental tune

Aria

Compartmented stage

Avista

Object coming to life

Crowd

Dance

The Roman Adventure - Parts Two & Three

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

Berlin

Fairy play

Tale

Wonderland

German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Socialism

Freedom

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

Die Spucke in der Bütte auf der Schwelle

Madame Kasperl

Talking animal

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