The Adventures of Pinocchio

It is the early 18th century and our story takes place in a small Italian town outside of Rome. The story is narrated by Nicolina, a talking cricket, as she recounts her encounter with Pinocchio. Our story starts with Maester Antonio, a carpenter, and his young apprentice Guiseppe Collodi, better known as Gepetto. Antonio is greatly impressed with Gepetto’s skill and decides to give him a grand gift on his 25th birthday - the hand of Antonio’s daughter, Eleanora. Eleanora and Gepetto fall madly in love and marry shortly after, but their happiness is cut short when Eleanora fails to produce a child. Years pass and still no baby is born. Growing desperate for his wife’s happiness, Gepetto begins to create her a little boy out of wood - a marionette. Sadly, Eleanora passes away before the puppet is finished. Now lonelier than ever, Gepetto endeavours to finish the puppet in his wife’s memory and does so... and wishes with all his might that the puppet would come to life. Bella, the blue fairy and North Star, hears Gepetto’s wish and brings the puppet to life, appointing Nicolina as his official conscience. She tells the puppet that he will only be a real boy when he can prove himself selfless, brave and true. He is named Pinocchio and Gepetto is thrilled. He gives Pinocchio money to go to school and be normal boy... but Pinocchio has other plans. Pinocchio sells his school book to buy a ticket to a travelling puppet show, where he is kidnapped by the puppet master Donata. He escapes, only to be conned and tricked by a pair of crooks named Vincenza and Carlo. Alone in the world, Pinocchio is then taken to Toyland by Demona on her coach, where he meets Candlewick... and things seem great to begin with, but things are not all as they appear. Suddenly finding himself sprouting donkey ears and a tail, Pinocchio flees - right into the jaws of Balena, the great whale. Will he ever be reunited with his Papi again, or must he be doomed to wander forever, a wooden marionette? Can he prove himself to be selfless, brave and true and therefore a real boy after all? A family show for a medium to large cast of young actors.