Pinocchio

Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s Italian serial for children, Pinocchio follows a precocious marionette who dreams of being real. A series of adventures with colourful characters like the wise Blue Fairy and mischievous Fox and Cat shape Pinocchio’s experience of the world and teach him valuable lessons about the virtues of honesty, kindness and hard work. Along the way, Pinocchio’s bond with the gentle lumberjack, Geppetto, grows (along with Pinocchio’s nose when he lies!) until he becomes human at last.

• Actors perform speaking roles called the Shadows who help to guide Pinocchio through his journey to being real.
  
  
• Will Tuckett pays homage to Canada with endearing references to lumberjacks, Mounties, beavers, raccoons and even a pair of Niagara Falls tourists.
  
  
• In this production, Geppetto is a lonely lumberjack who discovers Pinocchio inside a felled tree, rather than carving him from wood in a workshop.
  
  
• In one episode, Pinocchio attends a puppet show that alludes to the 1911 ballet Petrushka by the Ballets Russes, which tells of three puppets who come to life.
  
  
• Pinocchio has no shortage of visual splendour, from video projections to flying on wires, swimming, driving a car and, of course, Pinocchio’s growing nose!

Will Tuckett, the acclaimed English choreographer and director, is renowned for combining theatre and dance to imaginative effect. His works include the award-winning The Wind in the Willows for the Royal Opera House and The Canterville Ghost for English National Ballet. Tuckett also creates for theatre, musicals and feature films.

English composer Paul Englishby draws from numerous sources in his original score, from jazz to West End musicals, classical music and even Canada’s national anthem. Each character has a unique theme, like Pinocchio’s woodwind motif or the syncopated rhythms for the Cat and Fox, providing structure to the episodic plot.

Choreography:
Will Tuckett

Music: 
Paul Englishby

Librettist and Dramaturge: 
Alasdair Middleton

Set and Costume Design: 
Colin Richmond

Lighting Design: 
Oliver Fenwick

Projection Design: 
Douglas O’Connell

World Premiere: The National Ballet of Canada, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, March 11, 2017

A co-production of The National Ballet of Canada and Texas Ballet Theatre.

Lead philanthropic support for Pinocchio is provided by The Walter Carsen New Creations Fund, with additional support from an anonymous friend, Rosamond Ivey, Tim & Frances Price and The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada with additional support by The Producers’ Circle.

The Producers’ Circle (2017): Gail & Mark Appel, John & Claudine Bailey, Inger Bartlett & Marshal Stearns, Susanne Boyce & Brendan Mullen, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, The Thor E. and Nicole Eaton Family Charitable Foundation, Sandra Faire & Ivan Fecan, Kevin Garland & Roger Garland, C.M., Emmanuelle Gattuso, C.M. and Allan Slaight, C.M., The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, Rosamond Ivey, Hal Jackman Foundation, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Judith & Robert Lawrie, Mona & Harvey Levenstein,  Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland,  Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Lynda & Jonas Prince, Susan Scace & Arthur Scace, C.M., Q.C., Gerald Sheff & Shanitha Kachan, Sandra Simpson and Noreen Taylor, C.M. & David Staines, C.M., O.Ont.