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.
