Take flight with your imagination with Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s acclaimed production of The Little Prince adapted by Simon Clarke from the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. With its timeless message about the importance of friendship, The Little Prince is an adventure story that celebrates the richness of human feeling and imagination.
First published in 1943, The Little Prince is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat, writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900–1944). The novella is both the most-read and most-translated book in the French language, and was voted the best book of the 20th century in France.
Translated into more than 250 languages and dialects including braille, selling nearly two million copies annually with sales totalling over 140 million copies worldwide, it has become one of the top best-selling books ever published. Saint-Exupéry’s exquisite tale tells the story of a curious prince who leaves his tiny home planet and journeys across the universe, discovering that adults have very strange ideas about the things that really matter.
Associate Director of Spare Parts and director of the production, Michael Barlow said that The Little Prince is an imaginative and vivid work, continually reminding us of the magic of the imagination. “The work speaks strongly about what really matters in life. It isn’t expensive or flashy things that have the greatest value, it’s the people we form relationships with,” he said.
“Jiri Zmitko’s design cleverly reveals the tiny world of the Prince, the Sahara desert and the stars of the night sky. His hand carved puppets of the Fox, the Snake, the Little Prince and the Rose, are characters sure to live on in the audience’s imagination.”
Lee Buddle’s music creates a mood of mystery – and is so beautifully performed by world-renowned pianist Ross Bolleter – Karen Cook’s lighting design transports us from the world we know to the magical realm of the Prince and performers Jacob Lehrer and Jessica Lewis have endeared themselves to audiences with great charm and humour.”
Director: Michael Barlow Performers: Jacob Lehrer, Jessica Lewis Adapting Writer: Simon Clarke Designer: Jiri Zmitko Composer: Lee Buddle Lighting Designer: Karen Cook Puppet Construction: Jiri Zmitko and Kipling Smith
The Little Prince
Riverside Theatre, Corner Church and Market Streets, Parramatta
Performances: 28 – 29 June 2016
Information and Bookings: www.riversideparramatta.com.au
Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 597 High Street, Penrith
Performances: 1 – 2 July 2016
Information and Bookings: www.thejoan.com.au
Lendlease Darling Quarter Theatre, Darling Harbour (Sydney)
Performances: 5 – 9 July 2016
Information and Bookings: www.monkeybaa.com.au
The Street Theatre, 15 Childers Street, Canberra City West
Performances: 13 – 16 July 2016
Information and Bookings: www.thestreet.org.au
The Little Prince will also be presented in Queensland and Western Australia. For more information, visit: www.sppt.asn.au for details.
Image: The Little Prince – photo by Jessica Wyld