Tamino meets Godzilla

[pallas_athena]

I need a monster.

At the very beginning of The Magic Flute, Tamino (the hero) is threatened by a monster of some kind, and faints from fear. The libretto describes it as a "giftige Schlange"-- a venomous serpent. (English National Opera had a python-type snake strangling Tamino, while Covent Garden had a giant snake-puppet operated by multiple people.)

I want the monster to return at least once after the first scene: to dance with Tamino when he plays his flute, in order to show that he's no longer quite so helpless. If I can get a really good monster, I'll work out ways to give it some more stage-time.

I think I need a dragon. Preferably a 2-person costume. Does anyone have any ideas on how to make one that doesn't look completely lame?

Comments

[larissa-00.livejournal.com]

Hmm, could two people make something long and serpentine enough to be a dragon? Obviously you want something as far from a pantomime animal as possible. Just a thought, but how about more people under it, like a Chinese dragon or lion dance, but obviously not with an oriental lion style head? That way you have something big, to make an impressive entrance, and yet it can move in a smooth, sinuous way to dance to the flute? I think those dragons are just a drapery over a light frame (could one 're-upholster' a Chinese one?) with only the head as a solid structure, which could hopefully be made quite scary.

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

Modding a Chinese dragon-dance dragon is a good thought. I've come up against two problems:

1) Our stage space is tiny, since half the stage is taken up by the orchestra. If the dragon is too long, there won't be room for it to move.

2) Number of people under the dragon = number of extra people I have to gather and rehearse.

But if I can find a reasonably priced one, I'd certainly consider it. I agree with you that it would look very fine dancing to the flute!

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

Don't know whether the old Norwich snap-dragons (used in civic pageantry) offer any inspiration? See:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/emendesigns/nchdragons.html

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

Oh, they're beautiful! And effective, and operable by one person... excellent.

[wolfinthewood.livejournal.com]

When, and where, is this production taking place?

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

Oxford, 5, 6 and 7 November. It clashes with Bonfire Night, sadly, but ought to be fun nevertheless.

[larissa-00.livejournal.com]

So soon! Oh my goodness. Ok, I can see why you want to keep rehersals tight.

[veridianeyes.livejournal.com]

I've always found the chinese style dragons particularly impressive and they can menace people in a interesting way?

[petrona.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest a Chinese dragon, but I see two other posters had the same idea, so it can't be half bad. :-)

[captrenault.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a golden opportunity for (cheap) political commentary.

[artnouveauho.livejournal.com]

Tamino will not be eaten by Sarah Palin on my watch, sonnyboy.