Le Petit Prince - Antoine de St Exupéry
2004-2005

This is the story of a man who meets an extraordinary boy and relearns what it means to be a child. A pilot crashes his plane in the African desert and when he finds he has only enough water for eight days, he starts to fear for his life. While struggling to repair the machine on his own, he meets a very unusual child. For eight days, this Little Prince tells his remarkable story: where he is from, what his life was like there, why he left his own tiny planet to visit the Earth, and what he thinks of the flowers, snakes, foxes, and big people he met along the way. The pilot can do nothing but feel more and more awed by and protective of this young boy. Through his incredible stories the Little Prince reminds us of the joy of seeing the world through a child's eyes, even when you are all grown up. You are only limited by your own imagination.

At the heart of Le Petit Prince is the fox's bold statement that ‘anything essential is invisible to the eye.’ All the characters that the Little Prince encounters before coming to Earth explain to him, eagerly and openly everything about their lives. But the Little Prince finds that on Earth all true meanings are hidden. The first character to greet him on Earth is the snake who speaks only in riddles. Le Petit Prince concludes that what he discovers on earth seems always ‘mysterious’ and ‘secret.’ This choice of words is crucial to the book's message. To describe the mysteries of life as puzzles or questions would imply that answering them is possible. The fact that events on Earth are cast as mysteries suggests that they never can be resolved fully. However, this idea is not as pessimistic as it might seem. A central message of the story is that, while many questions in life remain mysteries, exploration of the unknown is what counts, even though it does not lead to definite answers.

This new production of Saint-Exupéry's wise and magical tale is adapted and directed by Peter Joucla. The story is brought to life on stage, using live music and a highly visual setting and performance style. The production uses three actors and two musicians. The cast of five will tour with a professional road manager / lighting technician.

Nigel Pilkington	Le Petit Prince
Saskia Portway	Le Vaniteux / La Rose / Le Serpent
Allan Garnier	Le Pilote / Le Buveur / Allumeur
Gregory Lukac	Le Roi / Le Géographe / Le Businessman
Peter Joucla	Director
Vali Mahlouji	Original Set & Costume Design
Filippo de Capitani	Lighting/management

A delightful play of the imagination, leaving plenty of room for poetry.
Schwäbische Zeitung, December 2004

Three actors in formation holding a propeller out in front of them with two lightbulbs in each hand become a rickety aeroplane. Suddenly it crashes, the pilot rolls out and the audience applauds.
Schwäbische Zeitung, December 2004

The predominantly young audience in the sold out theatre followed every word of the French text with delight.
Schwäbische Zeitung, December 2004

The musician illustrates the episodes with exciting noises. We hear the splash of water when the Prince waters his rose, the hissing of the snake and the gluggling of the drunkard as he drinks.
Schwäbische Zeitung, December 2004

The company succeeded again & again using dance, music and imaginative costumes in conjuring up a wonderfully magical atmosphere. Hats off for the director Peter Joucla who succeeds in taking the story from the realm of fantasy to the stage without losing any of its magic.
Schwäbische Zeitung, December 2004